


Eye for an Eye

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Drama, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-03-18
Updated: 2005-03-18
Packaged: 2019-05-30 22:56:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 35,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15106523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: Josh and Donna's trip to California takes a turn for the worst and the rest of the West Wing staff is left to deal with the situation.





	Eye for an Eye

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

**Eye for an Eye**

**by: Steph**

**Pairing(s):** Josh/Donna  
**Category(s):** Drama/Romance  
**Rating:** TEEN  
**Disclaimer:** "The West Wing" and its characters do not belong to me. They belong to Aaron Sorkin, NBC, et al. This is just for fun out of a love for the show. No profit is made and no infringement is intended.  
**Summary:** Josh and Donna's trip to California takes a turn for the worst and the rest of the West Wing staff is left to deal with the situation.   
**Author's Note:** As far as this story is concerned, there was no shooting at the end of the first season. In addition, this story was written before the second season premiere, therefore a flashback scene at the end of the story where Josh and Donna meet for the first time is different from what actually happened. 

Josh Lyman approached his assistant, Donna Moss', desk early Wednesday morning. "What are you doing this weekend?" 

Donna looked up from her paperwork, her eyes suspicious. "My girlfriends and I are driving up to Gaithersburg for the weekend to go to Yankee Candle." 

Josh looked at her perplexed, "You're going all that way just to go to a candle store? Couldn't you just go to, say, Wal-Mart to buy candles?" 

"It is isn't just a candle store, Josh. It has a wide variety of candles in different scents, candle holders and other crafty stuff. It's really great." 

Josh tried to hide his smile, "It sounds like it. Maybe I'll take a ride up there sometime, too...After all, I am almost out of my French Vanilla." 

Donna gently swatted his arm, while Josh continued. "Well, I hate to burst your fine smelling, waxy little bubble, Donna, but you have to cancel your plans for this weekend." 

Donna shook her head at him, "What?! No!" 

Josh shrugged, "Sorry, but I need you to come with me to California on business." 

Donna's expression was unrelenting, "I don't care, Josh. I have had these plans for weeks now, I can't just cancel them." 

Josh grinned smugly, "Sure you can. All you have to do is call your little friends up and tell them that your considerably powerful boss is forcing you to work this weekend." 

Donna smiled slightly, "I guess I should have been more clear: I have had these plans for weeks now, I don't WANT to cancel them." 

Josh sighed, "And I don't want to be having this infuriating conversation with you right now, but I am. Look, I need you to come with me." 

Donna's hard eyes stared him down, "Why? What do you need me for?" 

Josh spoke quickly to her, "I have to fly to Los Angeles because that's where that windbag, Senator Vining, is vacationing all month. He refuses to fly to D.C. for one day, so that we can discuss how he's going to vote on the Health Care bill that we're sending to Congress next month. We've heard he's voting against it and he's got a lot of pull with others. So it's my job to try and convince him to do otherwise." 

Donna nodded, as she listened intently. Then she held up an inquisitive finger, "Just one question, Josh. How exactly does that have anything to do with me?" 

Josh smiled and nodded, "Glad you asked. You see, Vining doesn't like me...More accurately, he hates me. I think it might have something to do with me calling him a 'colossal moron who wouldn't know a good idea if it kicked him in the ass', although I can't be sure. So, since he hates my guts and has a little crush on you that I noticed the last time he was here, I figured I'd bring you along to help me in the process of persuasion." 

Donna smiled, "He does not have a crush on me, Josh." 

Josh shook his head in disagreement, "Donna, he stared at your legs every time you walked into my office. Now, I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure he wasn't admiring your panty hose and wondering whether they were 'beige' or 'skin tone." 

Donna shrugged, "That doesn't mean he has a crush on me. It just means he's a man." 

Josh sighed loudly, "Just humor me then. He was at least attracted to you, which means he likes you a helluva lot more than me. Plus, I just know if I go there alone, I'm going to end up using words like 'imbecile' and 'idiot', which will *probably* decrease my chances of swaying him. But if you're there, you can keep me in check and while he's drooling over you, I'll be able to convince him of just about anything." 

Donna sighed, "So, you basically want to *use* me and my femininity to get this guy to do what you want him to do." 

Josh shook his head with a smile, "Well, it sounds cheap and dirty when you put it like that." 

Donna gritted her teeth, "It is cheap and dirty!" 

Josh sighed and ran a hand down his face, "Look, I don't want you to sleep with the guy. All I want is for his attention to be focused on something other than his hatred for me...And for you to help keep my temper in check...That's all." 

Donna shook her head, "Why doesn't someone else go if this guy hates you so much?" 

"Well, Toby and Sam are going to be rewriting a speech all weekend, because according to Toby, Sam 'royally screwed it up'. This isn't CJ's area and Leo has to stay behind because he's taking Mallory out for her birthday tomorrow night. So, that leaves me." 

"And me," Donna said dejectedly. She knew there was no point in arguing with Josh. He would just end up winning anyway. If she didn't go, then Josh would probably mess things up with Vining, he would then be scolded by Leo, which would lead to him being angry with himself, and then she'd have to deal with him being extremely grumpy with her...This was best for all concerned. 

Josh smiled widely at her. "Thanks, Donna. I won't forget this. I promise we'll look for a candle store while we're there." 

Donna smiled halfheartedly, "Gee, thanks." 

* * * * * 

Josh walked into Sam Seaborn's office. Sam was typing on his laptop, while Toby Ziegler hovered closely behind him. Toby closed his eyes and rubbed at his chin agitatedly, "Tell me, Sam, during your extensive education, did any of your teachers happen to mention anything about commas?" 

Sam spoke without looking up, "This is a rough draft, Toby. I'll edit for punctuation later." 

"Actually, your first, and I use the term loosely, speech, was your rough draft," Toby replied. 

Sam spoke irritably, "My flow...Your interrupting my flow, Toby." 

"Ah, so that's what those thirty words strung together without so much as a comma are a result of...Your flow," Toby responded. 

"That's right," Sam said, barely hearing him. 

Josh just stood in the doorway watching them, a smile on his lips. Toby finally acknowledged his presence, "Josh, tell Sam that commas are good, that we like commas...And that periods are pretty nice, too." 

Josh laughed, as he took a seat in front of them. Toby was always getting on Sam for his lack of punctuation use. Sam liked to write freely, let the ideas flow and then edit for punctuation, as well as other things, later. Toby was the exact opposite and it drove him crazy. 

Josh put his feet up on Sam's desk and leaned back in his chair, "I convinced Donna to come with me to see Vining. It took a little arm twisting, but I did it." 

Toby looked at him and nodded, "Good, Vining would have sliced and diced you without her." 

Josh shook his head, his pride a little wounded, "I can handle Vining." 

Toby smirked at him, "Josh, the man just about blamed you for every problem this nation has, as well as some that the entire world has. He-..." 

Josh nodded, as he interrupted Toby, "Yes, I was flattered that he thought me powerful enough to be responsible for global warming." 

Toby spoke warningly, "This isn't a joke, Josh...He does not like you." 

Josh grinned, "That's because I called him a 'colossal moron who wouldn't know a good idea if it kicked him in the ass'. I was pretty confident he wouldn't think very highly of me after that." 

Toby nodded, "Right and that's why you need Donna. You can lose your temper very easily around people you don't like or respect." 

Josh smiled, "You're one to talk." 

Toby shook his head and spoke seriously to Josh, "I mean it, Josh, you have to be nice to him. We're on the fence, we need his vote and pull to be sure this bill passes...Flatter him, coddle him, do whatever you have to do." 

Josh shook his head vehemently, "I'm not gonna kiss his ass, Toby." 

"A little ass-kissin' never hurt anyone, Josh," Toby responded unconvincingly. 

"I can't believe you, Toby Ziegler, are telling me to kiss this guy's ass," Josh said. 

Toby shrugged, "The President wants this bill passed...So do I." 

Josh nodded and got up from his seat, "I'll get him to vote with us, but I won't kiss his ass." 

Toby shrugged and looked back down at Sam's computer screen. Josh heard Toby grumble to Sam as he left the office, "Paragraphs, Sam...Separating different thoughts and ideas into paragraphs is also good thing." 

Josh smiled and then laughed as he heard Sam's loud response, "My flow!" 

* * * * 

Josh approached Mrs. Landigham's desk and smiled at her, "How is that you get more and more beautiful everyday, Mrs. Landingham?" 

Mrs. Landingham looked at him, unmoved, "You can't have another cookie, Josh." 

Josh sighed, "Oh come on, please?" 

"No, you already had two today," she said determinedly. 

Josh shrugged and then walked past her into the Oval Office. President Josiah Bartlet smiled at Josh as he entered and then gestured to Leo McGarry, who stood next to him. "Josh, tell Leo that you think I bear a striking resemblance to Harrison Ford...Come on, tell him." 

Josh's eyes widened at him. "Sorry, sir, but I don't." 

"Sure, you do. You told me that I did last week," Bartlet said. 

"No, no, I'm sure I didn't," Josh replied. 

"Of course, you did. Remember how we were talking about movies and then you said I looked like Harrison Ford." 

Josh shook his head, "No, sir, I said that Harrison Ford really looked like the President in the movie 'Air Force One'...I never said that he looks like you, the actual President." 

The President shifted his feet in a slightly embarrassed fashion, "Oh, well, I must have misunderstood." 

"Yes, sir." 

"But I look a helluva a lot more like a President than he did, you have to give me that," Bartlet said boastfully. 

Josh laughed and said, "Yes, Mr. President, you do." 

Leo smiled and then focused on Josh, "Donna on board?" 

"Yup," Josh said. 

"Good," Leo replied. 

Josh turned to the President, "So what time do we leave on Air Force One on Friday?" 

Leo and the President smiled, as they stifled laughs. Bartlet spoke, "Josh, I am not going to send Air Force One just for you and Donna." 

Josh sighed, "Even though I am giving up my entire weekend, as is Donna?" 

The President smiled, "Even so." 

Josh grinned and shrugged, "It was worth a try." 

Josh was about to leave, when Leo's voice halted him. "Be nice to Vining, Josh. Donna can only do so much. If I hear that this turned into a boxing match, with Donna as the referee, I'll have your head the moment you step off the plane." 

Josh smiled and nodded. He then turned around and left with an obedient, nonchalant wave as a farewell. 

As Josh disappeared out of sight, Leo turned to Bartlet. "Sir, are you sure about keeping CJ out of the loop on Donna going with Josh?" 

The President nodded, "Yes, Leo. She might take it the wrong way. I don't want her thinking that we are merely using Donna...The feminist in her might rear its head for no reason." 

"But isn't that what we are doing, sir?" 

Jed shook his head, "No, I didn't suggest to Josh that he take Donna because he happened to mention that he thought Vining was attracted to her. I simply suggested that he take her because Donna can help Josh keep his cool...That's what is most important if we are going to get Vining's vote and influence his pull with the others." 

"And you don't think CJ would understand that?" 

"I just think she might take it the wrong way. And I really don't see why she needs to know anyway. This isn't something that's going to make into one of her press briefings, so why chance it? She knows Josh is going, and that's all she needs to know." Bartlet replied. 

Leo nodded reluctantly, "Yes, sir." 

* * * * * 

Josh looked up from the work he was doing at his desk, when Donna entered. She spoke coldly to him, "Well I hope you're happy, my friends are crushed that I won't be joining them." 

"Actually, that's the kind of stuff that warms my heart...That and kittens," Josh said with a grin. 

Donna didn't crack a smile, "It's not funny, Josh...Because of you and your stupid temper, I had to cancel my plans." 

"I really am sorry, Donna...Look at it this way, maybe we'll see Hasselhoff again." 

Donna shook her head, "Nah, he's vacationing with his family in Hawaii." 

Josh looked at her in surprise, "Since I am frightened by the fact that you know that, can you please tell me how you do?" 

Donna smiled slightly, "I read it in 'Star' magazine. They had pictures of him lying on some beach in Maui." 

"You read 'Star' magazine, Donna?...Really, I'm disappointed in you," Josh said with a smile. 

"Hey, that magazine can be very informative, Joshua. It always gets my horoscope right." 

Josh's brow peaked, "Oh yeah? What did it say for this week?" 

Donna thought for a moment, "It said that I will have a financial windfall early on in the week...And that something surprising and precarious will happen at the end of the week." 

Josh looked at her skeptically, "So how did that financial thing work out for you?" 

Donna smiled, "I found five dollars on Monday." 

"Hey, I lost five dollars on Monday," Josh said suspiciously. 

Donna smiled, "I *found* it on your desk." 

Josh grinned, with a little chuckle. He then changed the subject, "Did you make the reservations?" 

"All set. Our rooms are booked and our flight leaves at 8 pm Friday night." 

"First Class?" 

"Yup." 

"That airline has three across in First Class, did you get me an aisle seat?" 

"No." 

"Donna, you know I like aisle seats," Josh whined. 

"Sorry." 

"Window seat?" 

"No." 

"I have to sit in the middle? I hate sitting in the middle. Even in First Class, the people on your sides end up hogging the armrests. Then you always get the person who wants to talk to you, but is extremely boring and has bad breath," Josh complained. 

"I guess you'll just have to deal with it," Donna said unsympathetically. 

"Wait a minute. You have a seat, too. That means you have either a window or an aisle. Give me your seat," Josh demanded. 

Donna shook her head, "No way. I gave up my weekend, I get the aisle seat." 

Josh sighed in defeat as she turned around and left. 

* * * * * 

A few days later, Josh and Donna stood at the ticket counter. Josh was distracted by a pretty customer to his left, so he didn't hear Donna arguing with the cashier. She finally elbowed Josh, who gave her his attention. "We've been bumped to Coach," Donna said. 

Josh looked at her with surprise, "Coach? Look, the reason I became the White House Deputy Chief of Staff was so I would never have to ride in Coach ever again." 

Donna shrugged, "I tried, Josh. She said they overbooked in First Class, so we've been bumped." 

"Did you play the 'my boss works for the President' card?" 

Donna smiled slightly, "Yup, twice." 

Josh ran a hand through his hair and grumbled, "Coach...I hate Coach." He then walked off, as Donna followed behind him. 

They found their gate and waited for their aisle to be called to board. Josh spoke agitatedly, "You know what I hate most about Coach?...I hate how there's no leg room. It's like the *geniuses* designed the plane for a bunch of midgets." 

Donna rubbed at her forehead, "Are you going to complain about this all the way to California?" 

"I was planning on it." 

"Why?" 

"Because it makes me feel better." 

"Well, it makes me hate you and want to kill you," Donna replied through clenched teeth. 

"Geez, somebody's a little grumpy," Josh said. 

All Donna could do was glare at him. 

* * * * * 

Josh and Donna soon boarded the plane, their carry-on luggage in tow. They quickly found their seats and Josh placed their luggage in the overhead. He then gestured for Donna to take the middle seat. Donna smirked at him. "Sorry, Josh, but you still have to sit there." 

"But, Donna, this is Coach...The middle seat is even worse here," Josh grumbled. 

Donna shrugged and then shoved him gently into their row. Josh begrudgingly took his seat next to a geeky, eager-looking young man. He smiled at Josh and spoke in a quick ramble, "Looks like we're seat mates. I don't know about you, but I hate flying. It makes me a little queasy. Thank God for these handy airsick bags. It all stems from my childhood when-..." 

This was the moment Josh stopped listening. He turned to stare daggers at Donna and then whispered softly in her ear, "If I strangle this guy by the end of the flight, I am holding you partly responsible for my actions." 

Donna smiled and shook her head at him. The plane soon took off. Josh had somehow managed to block out the man's incessant chatter. Fifteen minutes into the trip, the flight attendant came to Josh and Donna and asked for their drink orders. 

"Sir, what would you like to drink?" she asked Josh. 

"White wine, thank-..." 

Donna interrupted Josh's sentence, speaking in an intentionally loud voice, "Diet Coke...He'll have a Diet Coke...He has a very sensitive system." 

The flight attendant looked at Josh strangely, as his cheeks reddened. A few snickers could even be heard coming from neighboring seats. Once the flight attendant had left, Josh turned to Donna. He spoke in a whisper through clenched teeth. "Why do you do that? Why do you always tell people that? It makes me sound like such a wuss...And did you have to do it so loudly?" 

Donna shrugged, "You have a sensitive system, it's true." 

"That doesn't mean you have to tell everyone and their grandma. Plus, it was just a white wine." 

"Doesn't matter, you can't hold any liquor." 

"Okay, Donna, who died and made you my guardian?" 

"I don't care what you do, Josh, as long as it only affects you. But when you get drunk, it inevitably affects me. And the last thing I need is a drunken you on a plane to California," Donna replied. 

Josh sighed, "You live to torture me...That can be the only explanation for this treatment...Your sole purpose of being on this earth is to torture me." 

Donna smiled, "That's right." 

Josh shook his head and muttered, "And my system is not that sensitive." 

The annoying man to his left tapped his shoulder at that moment, "Did you say you have a sensitive system? I have a sensitive system, too." 

Josh grinned and responded sardonically, "You? I never would have guessed." 

* * * * * 

Josh and Donna had both managed to fall asleep about an hour into the flight. Donna's head now rested peacefully against Josh's shoulder. 

However, their peace and slumber was suddenly shattered by an unmistakable sound that came from behind the First Class curtain. 

A gunshot. 

Donna and Josh's heads shot up and they were instantly alert. A few screams escaped from the other passengers' mouths, as two flight attendants scurried to quiet them. Josh and Donna were silent, but when their eyes met they registered a fear they had never before encountered. Josh instinctively took Donna's hand in his. 

They listened carefully to the first words they'd heard since they awakened. A man was screaming in First Class, his voice emerging in a heavy Middle Eastern accent. "Where is he?! He is supposed to be here!" 

Their hearts dropped into their stomachs, for they knew what Josh and Donna did not yet. 

The curtain leading to the front was suddenly pulled opened, revealing an armed dark-skinned man, with five more following behind him. He surveyed the passengers before speaking in an eerily calm tone. "I am looking for a man. He was supposed to be in First Class, but I could not find him there." 

Donna swallowed around a lump in her throat, as she placed her other hand over Josh's and squeezed it as comfortingly as possible. 

The man continued, "I need this man, I am sure by now he knows that it is he I am looking for. He works for the government that has wrongfully imprisoned my son. I want him released and he can make that happen. If he does not reveal himself to me in five minutes, then I will begin killing one passenger every ten minutes." 

Josh couldn't swallow, his throat had closed up. He couldn't think, his brain had frozen. His eyes were barely focusing, his ears barely hearing the words he couldn't fathom. 

The man finished with a wicked smile, "So, elusive White House Deputy Chief of Staff, Joshua Lyman, please reveal yourself...Which one of you is he?" 

The man's eyes scanned the large group again. 

Donna turned her eyes to Josh, her glance filled with an almost unbearable fear. Josh fought the nerves that were attacking his body, the terror that was threatening to paralyze every part of him. He couldn't even process his thoughts well enough to wonder how this man had found out he would be on this flight in such a short amount of time. 

Josh managed to swallow hard, as the words that shook him to his very core emerged and he slowly raised his left hand, "I am." 

With that, the man's hateful gaze fell upon him and a small cry escaped from Donna's lips. 

* * * * *

Josh and Donna watched as the hijacker slowly approached their seats. Donna was squeezing Josh's hand so hard that she had nearly stopped its blood flow. The man was almost to them and Donna could feel the tears stinging her eyes. 

Something suddenly overcame her common sense and she was powerless to fight it. She shook her head at the man and said as loud as she could manage, "No." 

Josh looked at her in shock, his mouth hanging open, but his words failing him. Donna continued in a voice that was struggling against the emotion of the situation, "This isn't Josh Lyman...He lied. This is just a good man who wanted to buy some time so that you wouldn't start killing people. This...It isn't him." 

Josh placed his other hand over Donna's and she turned her eyes to him. There was an appreciation in his eyes that she had never before seen, but she could also see that he didn't want her fighting his battles. The man finally reached their row and stood close to Donna. He looked down at her, his lips curled into a smile. He then brought his eyes to Josh, with his gun pointed directly at his chest. "It seems you have quite a loyal lady friend. I wonder what you did to deserve such dedication." 

Josh took a deep breath, "I don't even know this woman. We just met on this flight today." 

The man's eyes perused their two figures. Josh had wisely slipped his hand out of Donna's before the man had approached them. He looked at them suspiciously, "Well then, you must have made quite an impression on her in the last hour." 

Josh nodded, as he forced himself not to look at Donna. He could feel her eyes on him. "She's just a very nice woman who didn't want to see anyone get hurt. That's all. This has nothing to do with her." 

The man's head bobbed in agreement. He seemed to be buying Josh's lie. "Yes, but I still must make sure that her claims have no truth to them. Your identification, please, Mr. Lyman?" 

Josh reached into his interior jacket pocket and pulled out his wallet. He then opened it and removed his White House ID. He handed it to the man. The man accepted it and looked it over carefully, glancing at Josh's face once before finally handing it back to him. "You are the man I was looking for. I only wish you could have made my job easier by being in section I was told you'd be in." 

Josh smirked at him, his anger rising up at the smugness of the comment, "Well, had I known you were coming, I would have placed signs around the aircraft pointing you in my direction." 

Donna discreetly elbowed Josh, in a silent effort to tell him that this was not the time to lose his temper and display his arrogance. The hijacker scowled at him and, in a sudden motion, placed the gun to Josh's chest. Donna's eyes widened and she had to bite her lip to keep from screaming. Josh just exhaled deeply and told himself to remain calm. The man spoke, "I really don't think that you are in any position to be making wise remarks, Mr. Lyman." 

Josh responded in a willful voice, "I think I am in the best position of anyone on this airplane. You need me. Without me, you won't get what you want." 

The man shook his head, a wicked laugh following out of his mouth, "Wrong. I only need your boss, the *revered* leader of the free world, to think that you are perfectly fine. He only has to think it. But as long as you cooperate with me, no harm will come to you or anyone else." 

Josh had seen how Donna's body had tensed up at the hijacker's implied threat to his safety. Josh replied, his tone icy, "You've obviously underestimated by boss. He thinks what he wants to think and he doesn't take kindly to threats." 

* * * * * 

CJ Cregg walked down the halls of the nearly empty West Wing. She had been there late reading some files for her briefing that Monday. She hadn't felt like dragging them home for the weekend. 

The light in Toby's office caught her attention and she approached his door. She leaned against the door frame. "You're working late, too?" 

"No, CJ, I love this place so much I've decided to make it my permanent home," Toby replied sardonically, without looking up from his work. 

CJ sighed and sat down across from him, "Ah, now that was more terse than usual." 

"It was?" Toby asked, his voice indicating little interest in CJ's response. 

"No, I was just trying to be nice," CJ replied with a smile. Toby nodded, as he paid little attention to her. She continued, "Is your unpleasant mood due to Sam's supposed botching of the UN speech the President will be delivering on Monday?" 

"Sam is always the reason for my unpleasant mood," Toby said. 

CJ laughed, "Can't you just accept the fact that you have two different writing styles?" 

"No, I can't. What I can accept is that his writing style is wrong and mine is right." 

"Well, that is very big of you, Toby," CJ responded with a grin. 

Toby finally looked up at CJ and sighed, "Do you have something you would actually like to share with me, CJ, or is your sole purpose to annoy me?...Because if it's the latter, I gotta tell you, Sam already has you covered." 

CJ smiled, as she shook her head. "Actually, I was wondering if you knew where Donna was." 

Toby's eyebrows peaked, "Donna?" 

"Yes, earlier this week she mentioned that she was going to be working late tonight, because she needed to finish some paperwork before she left on her weekend trip. But I noticed that she hasn't been at her desk since at least 7. Do you know why she may have changed her plans?" 

"No. She probably just decided to leave early since Josh wasn't going to be here. I am sure she figured the paperwork could wait." Toby didn't make eye contact with CJ as he spoke to her. He hated lying to her, especially since he thought the whole situation to be inconsequential. However, Leo had told him that the President wanted it this way. Toby didn't support his reasons, but he was in no mood to argue. 

CJ shrugged, "I guess you're right. I was just hoping to get a file from her, that's all. Josh borrowed my file on the tax proposal to make some notes on it for me. I wanted to read it over, so that's why I was looking for Donna." 

"Well, that can wait until Monday when she's back," Toby replied. 

CJ nodded, got up and headed towards the door. Before she reached for the doorknob, she turned around to face Toby again. She spoke hesitantly, "Toby, you're not keeping something from me, are you?" 

Toby looked up at her with surprise and then looked back down at his paperwork. "No, CJ, I'm not. Have a good weekend." 

CJ nodded reluctantly, "Okay...Yeah, you too. 

With that, CJ opened the door and left. 

* * * * * 

Charlie Young nodded to the guard as he let him into the President's bedroom. Charlie saw the President sitting on his couch, his head tilted and his eyes closed. The TV was on in front of him. Charlie was surprised to see him asleep so early, especially on a Friday, but he guessed that he must have been pretty bored without his wife around to keep him company. The First Lady was spending the whole weekend with Zoey. They were going to go shopping around town and, he thought, whatever else it is that women do for fun. The President had not been invited because he complained too much while shopping. This, however, suited him just fine. He was looking forward to doing absolutely nothing all weekend, something Charlie was sure he hadn't done since he was an infant. 

Charlie clicked the TV off and sat down next to him. He gently shook his shoulder. The President slowly stirred, his eyes opening hesitantly. He responded in a slurred voice, "This isn't what I meant by I don't want to be disturbed all weekend, Charlie." 

"You didn't tell me that, sir." 

"I didn't?" 

"No." 

"Well, I meant to." 

"In fact, you told me to keep you updated on anything that was happening that might need your attention in the near future." 

"I did?" 

"Yes, sir." 

"What was I thinking when I said that?" 

"I don't know, sir." 

The President sighed and sat up straight. He widened his eyes at Charlie, in an attempt to rid them of sleep. He'd only been napping for a very short time, but he still felt groggy. 

"What are you even doing here at this hour? Shouldn't you be out with my daughter, doing something I'd probably disapprove of?" The President asked. 

"Zoey's spending all weekend with Mrs. Bartlet, remember?" Charlie answered. 

The President smiled, "Oh, yes, that's right. I knew there was a reason I fell asleep so easily. My daughter is safe with her mother and her mother isn't pestering me to take my medication or preventing me from eating that delicious pepperoni pizza I ordered thirty minutes ago from the kitchen. But none of this tells me why you are here at this hour." 

"Mrs. Bartlet made me promise to stay with you all weekend. She said if I didn't, then you wouldn't take your medication and you'd eat unhealthy food," Charlie responded with a well-hidden smile. 

Bartlet grinned, "Well, looks like you've failed the First Lady, Charlie...That's bad...Very bad." 

"No, sir. I have your pills right here in my pocket and I told the guard outside the door to keep the pizza when it arrives from the kitchen," Charlie said with a wide smile. 

The President sighed, "You know, you're supposed to work for me, not my wife." 

"Yes, sir." 

Bartlet ran a hand through his hair and moaned with disappointment. Then he said, "Okay, well, what did you come in here to tell me then?" 

"We've received reports that one of the airplanes that took off from Washington National Airport has lost contact with the air traffic control tower...I just thought you should know in case this escalates into a larger situation," Charlie said quickly. 

"We don't know anything else yet?" The President asked, as he fleetingly thought of Josh and Donna. 

"No, sir, that's all I was told." 

"Okay, thank you, Charlie." 

"Yes, sir." 

Charlie then handed the President his pills and picked up a glass of water that he had in front of him. "Here, take these." 

The President obeyed with a loud sigh. Charlie then got up and headed to the door. The President's voice stopped him, "I couldn't persuade you to give me even one little piece of pizza, could I?" 

"No, Mr. President, you couldn't," Charlie said with a smile. 

The President groaned, "Between you, Mrs. Landingham and my wife, it's a wonder I haven't wasted away by now." 

"Goodnight, sir," Charlie replied with a grin. 

"Goodnight, Charlie," the President responded softly. 

* * * * * * 

After Josh has spoken to the hijacker, he had ordered two of his men to go into the cockpit and disable the pilot's means of communicating with the air traffic control tower. One of the men had been stationed there before Josh and Donna had even awakened. He had prevented them from reporting the hijacking to the tower when it had first occurred. 

The man had then walked away from Josh and began to talk to one of his men in their own language. Josh used this opportunity to speak to Donna. He turned to her, careful to keep his voice quiet and not to draw any attention from the other men. Donna's eyes met his and he could see that they were glassy from tears held back. It nearly broke his heart. "Donna, you have to listen to me. You can't let him know that we have any kind of relationship. I think he believed me when I said we didn't know each other...It has to stay that way." 

Donna looked at him in confusion, "Why can't he know, Josh?" 

"If he knows that you're important to me, that I care about you, then he could use you as a pawn in his game," Josh replied, the thought almost too much to bear. 

Donna's mind was too clouded by fear to process Josh's words, "I...I don't understand. Why do you think he'd want to use me?" 

Josh spoke slowly, his eyes leaving hers, "Because I don't know that I can give him what he wants." 

Donna's eyes widened, "What? Josh, you're one of the President's closet advisers and friends, if he knows you're in trouble he'll have to comply." 

"It's not that simple, Donna. The President does not give into threats, it's not the way he works." Josh said, his voice rising more than he'd intended. 

"But this is different...It involves us," Donna said. 

Josh nodded, "I know, but he may not have a choice. The President can't give into the hijacker's demands simply because two of his employees are on this plane. He has to look at the bigger picture. He has to consider what message this would send to nations that we are not on good terms with or to other individuals who might want something from him. If he gives in because of us, then he'll be revealing a considerable weakness. It will lessen his power and bargaining ability in future situations. There will be nothing to stop someone from threatening other staff members again to get what they want and he will have set a precedence to comply." 

Donna shook her head at him, "But, Josh, there are other people on this plane. He has to consider them, too." 

Josh bobbed his head in agreement, as he ran a hand through his hair, "I know and he will. He'll do everything he can, he just has to be careful. But all you have to do is act like you don't know me...It'll keep you safe, Donna." 

"I still don't understand why," Donna responded. 

Josh closed his eyes slowly. He wished that Donna wasn't making this any harder for him than it already was. But she was scared and her emotions were clouding her ability to completely understand him. 

Josh's own thoughts were filled with questions. He was still stunned that they had found out he would be on this flight in such a short amount of time. This suggested to him that the hijackers must have been waiting for the moment when someone from the staff would be left vulnerable and that there must have been someone on the inside at the White House, as well as at the airline, who had divulged this information. 

Josh shook his head free of these thoughts for the time being and opened up his eyes. He focused his gaze on Donna's eyes and spoke softly, "Because if I can't deliver what he wants, Donna, he might think I'm just playing hardball. And if he knows about our relationship then he might try to use you to force my hand." Josh paused momentarily and then his voice emerged barely above a whisper, "I couldn't stand it if anything happened to you because of me." 

Donna nodded and discreetly took his hand in hers. She smiled slightly, "Nothing's going to happen to either one of us, Josh...You'll see, everything's going to be fine." 

Josh nodded, his thumb absentmindedly rubbing her hand, "Just promise me you won't do anything to endanger yourself. That's all I want from you." 

Before Donna could respond, the lead hijacker began to walk towards them. Josh and Donna turned away from each other and closed their mouths. Donna quickly removed her hand from Josh's. The man's eyes fell to Josh and he was about to say something when Donna interrupted him, "I have to use the bathroom." 

Josh looked at her in surprise and he had to force himself to suppress his sigh. The man's gaze fell upon her, "No, everyone remains seated." 

Donna's hard eyes stared him down, "I'm sorry, but this really isn't something that's up for negotiation." 

The hijacker responded harshly, "I'll decide that! You will remain seated. I want everything to go according to my plan and it does not include bathroom breaks." 

Donna shook her head, her voice emerging tersely, "Look, I have to go to the bathroom. Not that it's any of your business, but it's my time of the month and my body isn't designed to work around a hijacker's schedule." 

The man was oddly impressed, and somewhat taken aback, by her determined and tenacious attitude. He hesitantly nodded, "Fine, but make it quick." He then turned around and ordered one of the other men to stand guard outside the bathroom. 

Donna took advantage of his eyes leaving her figure by grabbing her small purse, removing an item and dropping it down her blouse, which was tucked into her skirt. She then pulled her suit jacket closely around her before slowly getting up. She caught Josh's gaze as she was about to turn away from him. He mouthed, "Be careful," to her, as a worried look occupied his eyes. He knew what she was going to do and he wished that, for once, she had just listened to him. She was endangering herself and he could do nothing to stop it. 

Donna walked to the bathroom, as one of the men followed after her. She entered the small space and locked the door behind her. She then ran the water, so that he wouldn't be able to hear what she was about to do. Donna reached into her blouse and pulled out her cell phone. 

Donna knew she needed to alert the President and his staff. She had to give them a heads up on what was happening. The more time they were given, the better chance they'd have of reaching a sufficient plan of action. 

However, her mind was racing and it seemed to be going blank. She couldn't remember anyone's home or cell phone number, or even how to reach the White House. In a panic, she dialed the first number that popped into her head. As she waited for her friend to answer, she prayed that he was also there. She knew they were supposed to be dining at her place that evening, so she hoped against hope that he was there. She hoped that they hadn't changed their plans and that he hadn't left early. 

The phone picked up on the second ring, "Mallory O'Brien's residence. This is she speaking." 

Donna sighed in relief when she heard her friend's voice and prayed that Sam was still there. She spoke hurriedly, "Mal, I need you to put Sam on the phone right now. Please don't ask me why, just do it." 

A confused and frightened Mallory wildly gestured for Sam to come to the phone. Sam took the phone from her, his face etched with the concern that Mallory's reactions had caused. "Sam Seaborn speaking." 

"Sam, it's me, Donna. Josh and I need you, our plane's been hijacked," she said quickly. 

Her revelation was met with stunned silence from the other end. 

* * * * * 

Sam struggled to find his words, "What?...Donna...Oh my God." 

Donna whispered into the phone, as she tried to curb the desperation in her voice, "Sam, don't say anything, just listen. I only have a little bit of time, so just listen. 

Sam swallowed hard and nodded, although she couldn't see his silent gesture of compliance. Donna continued, as she eyed the door that was less than a foot away from her face. "We have been hijacked by a Middle Eastern man who wants to use Josh's connections to the White House to force the President to release his son from prison...I called you so that the President and staff could get a head start on a plan and would not be blind-sided by this news." 

Sam's eyes were wide with shock. He couldn't believe that his best friend was in danger because of his job. He spoke quickly, "Do you know anything else, Donna? How many hijackers are on board?" 

Donna was just about to respond, when she heard some banging on the door. She strangled a scream that had almost erupted from her mouth. Sam could hear the banging in the background, "Donna?...Are you okay?" 

The door in front of Donna was suddenly kicked open by the man who had been guarding her. He perused her figure and noticed the phone in her hand. Donna hadn't had time to hide it before he had forced the door open. He spoke in broken English, "A phone?...You use that for what?!...Answer me!" 

Donna was frozen in place and her fear had stolen her words. The man's steely eyes stared holes into her head. He reached forward and roughly grabbed her arm, as he pulled her out of the bathroom. 

Sam's pulse was racing, as he heard the muffled voices on the phone. He couldn't make anything else out. "Donna?!...Are you all right?" 

The hijacker grabbed the phone from her, looked at it momentarily, then dropped it to the floor and stepped on it with his boot. Donna watched as her phone and sole connection to the outside world was destroyed. 

Sam's heart dropped into his stomach, as his question was met with silence and the phone went dead. 

Donna tried to rip her arm free of the man, "Let go of me!" 

By now, their confrontation had gained the attention of all of the passengers on the plane and three hijackers, including the leader. 

Josh had been engrossed in his thoughts when Donna's screams had filled his ears. He immediately jumped up from his seat and turned to face them. The rage boiled within him as he saw the man's tight grip on Donna's arm. He couldn't help himself. His mouth opened and his words spewed forth, as he attempted to come towards them. "Get your hands the hell off of her!" 

Donna's eyes focused on Josh's, as she tried to sustain the courage that had gotten her this far. Before Josh could even take two steps towards them, a voice halted his motion. "I said everyone remains seated! You did not receive permission to leave your seat, Mr. Lyman. Sit down!" 

Josh turned to face the man, who had come to stand behind him. His voice dripped with an anger that was ready to erupt, "I am not going to sit down until you tell your man to get his hands off of that woman. Where I come from, women are not treated as if they are little more than objects. Tell your man to let her go." 

The hijacker's lips spread into a wicked grin, "I hope that wasn't an order, Mr. Lyman. For your sake and for hers, I hope that wasn't an order." 

Josh stepped closer to him, his breath tickling the man's face. He was so angry and scared for Donna, that he had lost all sense of control. "I think you better get something straight in your demented, unscrupulous mind. I am not your subordinate, I don't take orders from you. I also get a little upset when someone threatens my safety, as well as that of 150 other people. If you want your son released from prison, you need me to be unharmed. And if you want my help, you better make sure that everyone else, including the lady, are left unharmed. The President will not comply unless he knows I am fine...He'll want to be assured...So I suggest you begin to accept the fact that I am someone you can't afford to piss off." 

The hijacker's eyes shone with anger. He quickly lifted his gun and shoved the butt of it into Josh's gut before he had a chance to defend himself. Josh fell to the floor, his face twisting with pain and his hand gravitating towards the area. 

Donna's lips trembled as she saw Josh fall. She tried to scream, but her word only emerged barely above a whisper, "Josh." 

The hijacker then leaned over Josh and spoke right into this face, as the spit from his words sprayed his cheek. "That wasn't very smart, was it, Mr. Lyman? You should have known better. I will not be at your mercy and, had you not let your emotions get the better of you, you would have realized that. You will help me or your lady friend will pay the ultimate price." 

Josh's eyes widened, as he winced in pain, "No, I don't know her...Just leave her alone." 

The hijacker smiled, "You don't know her? Yes, you've tried that one with me before. However, I find it strange that you'd risk your safety for someone you don't even know." 

Josh spoke, his words biting, despite the pain with which it took to say them, "She's a woman, an innocent woman. I just don't want to see anyone get hurt because of me." 

"Ah, so you are sticking by your story. Fine, say what you want, I do not care. Just be sure that this does not happen again. Because if it does, whether she is your friend or not, she will be hurt." 

Josh closed his eyes as heard those words and had to bite his tongue to keep from saying anything. Donna had swallowed a sob at the same time, her eyes never leaving Josh's figure. 

The hijacker stepped over Josh's body and walked to where his man held Donna. He looked at her, to the smashed pieces on the floor, and then back to her again. He brought his hand up and placed the tip of his index finger beneath Donna's chin, so that he tilted her face up towards him slightly. When Donna tried to free herself of his touch, he brought his whole hand to her chin and gripped it tightly. "Have you learned nothing from, Mr. Lyman's experience? It is best not to fight me with words or otherwise." 

Donna forced her eyes to stare at him without allowing them to reveal the fear that was consuming her. She would not give him the satisfaction. The hijacker continued, "Now, tell me...Who did you call on the phone?" 

Donna responded, her voice intentionally emotional, "I called my husband and children. I wanted them to know that I was okay...I knew when they eventually heard about this they would be scared for me, so I called to let them know that I was all right." 

He smiled and glanced back at Josh, "Husband and children? Oh, that's a shame, isn't it, Mr. Lyman? Your beautiful seat mate is already spoken for. I guess you two have no future together...And to think you risked your life for her." 

Josh heard him, but made no effort to speak. He wanted the hijacker to believe that Donna was telling the truth...There was still hope that he wouldn't realize their relationship. 

The hijacker continued, his eyes focused on Donna, "You know that was stupid by now, I'm sure. Don't try anything like that again or your cell phone won't be the only thing left in pieces." He paused to allow himself a laugh and to watch as the fear crept into her eyes. However, Donna did not reward him with what he desired. Her eyes remained stoic. He sighed in disappointment and then motioned to the man that held her, "Release her." 

His grip loosened and Donna freed herself from him entirely. She rushed towards Josh, who was now struggling to sit up. She knelt before him, as her arm was placed as a brace against his back. She slowly helped him get back to his seat, as he groaned in pain and held his stomach. 

Donna was about to speak, when he met her eyes and spoke first, "Are you all right? Did they hurt you?" 

Donna shook her head, amazed that his first concern was her, "No, I'm fine. Josh, you're the one that's hurt." Donna paused and then added softly, "I'm sorry." 

Josh brought his hand to hers and squeezed it the best he could, "I'm the one who should be sorry, Donna...Me, not you." 

Donna brought her hand to his cheek and stroked it gently. He wanted to say some more, but she quieted him with a simple look and a shake of her head. She knew he felt guilty for placing her in this situation, but he was in no condition to voice that concern. She spoke in a whisper, "Just rest, Josh...I'm here." 

* * * * * 

Sam had been rooted to his spot for what seemed like an eternity, his face staring blankly at the phone still in his hand. Mallory now stood in front of him, her voice wrought with a fear of the unknown, "Sam, tell me what happened. What happened to Donna?..Please, tell me." 

Sam spoke in a voice devoid of emotion, his eyes never leaving the phone, "Josh and Donna's plane has been hijacked by a man who wants to use Josh to force the President to meet his demand...That's all she said...Then...then the phone went dead." 

Mallory brought a hand to her mouth, tears immediately springing to her eyes, "Oh my God, Sam." Since she had started dating Sam more than a year ago, she had become very close with both Donna and Josh. For Sam's sake, Mallory forced herself to speak in as strong a voice as she could manage, "What were they even doing on a plane?" 

Sam shook his head, his trance finally broken. He looked at Mallory, "I don't have time to explain now, Mallory. I have to alert the President and the rest of the staff." 

Mallory nodded in understanding. Sam's first call was to CJ, for reasons he didn't quite understand. CJ knew how to handle herself in the face of a crisis, Sam wasn't nearly as adept. She had the power to mask her emotions, so that she could do her job to the best of her ability. It was only rarely that she failed. Sam, however, took everything to heart and he could not always prevent his heart from ruling his head. 

As he dialed her number, he could feel the panic rising up in him. Various scenarios, most of them bad, played out in his mind. By the third ring, Sam's stomach was tied into a knot and he could barely think. 

CJ groaned as the ringing filled her silent house. She was laying peacefully in a bubble bath, her head resting against the white tile. It had been a hard day, which is to say it had been a typical day. All she wanted to do now was rest her aching body in this bath and think of nothing that would tax her tired mind. 

But that ringing had interrupted this idealistic thought. She had toyed with the notion of letting it ring until the answering machine picked it up, but then she remembered that she hadn't turned it on. 

CJ sighed as she reluctantly removed herself from the water and quickly wrapped a towel around her thin figure. She mumbled to herself agitatedly, "I swear, if it is one of those fools that I work with calling to ask me something that has absolutely no need to be handled at this moment, I am going to scream...They always do that to me." 

CJ finally reached the phone and picked it up quickly, "Hello?" 

Sam swallowed hard, "CJ, I-..." 

CJ groaned in irritation as she recognized his voice, "Sam! I got all the way out of my bath to answer this phone and it's you. If this is about Toby, please leave me out of it. You know how he can be and you're just going to have to learn to live with it. Now, if you don't mind, I am-..." 

"CJ!" Sam said, interrupting her rant. 

The urgency with which he said her name caused CJ to jump, "Sam, what is it? What happened?" 

Sam spoke quickly, feeling that he needed to rid himself of this information as fast as possible, "CJ, Josh's plane was hijacked by a Middle Eastern man who wants to use him to force the President's hand. I am heading down to the West Wing now, meet me there. I'll call Leo and Toby, too. Okay, I'll see you there." 

Sam hung up before CJ could utter a word. She had been so shocked that the rest of what he'd said barely registered. CJ took a deep breath and tried to force herself into professional mode. 

Then she walked down the hall into her bedroom and began to get changed. 

* * * * * 

One hour later, Leo stood solemnly outside of the President's bedroom. He had arrived at the White House twenty minutes after Sam had called him. Then he had spent the next forty minutes making sure that all necessary employees were being called in and gathering as much information on the situation as he could, since the airline and air traffic control tower now knew what was happening. 

He rubbed at his face and sighed. He then nodded at the guard to open the door. 

Leo entered the room and slowly approached the President's bed, where he lay asleep. He shook him gently, while saying, "Mr. President." 

Bartlet stirred, but made no effort to show that he was actually awake. A few moments later, he muttered against his pillow, his eyes still closed. "Leo, if you've come to shove some pills down my throat, you're too late. Charlie's already done that. And if you want some of my pizza, you're going to have to ask James out there to regurgitate it for you." 

Leo didn't even crack a smile, "Sir, I am here with news on a serious situation that needs your immediate attention. 

The President opened his eyes, as the tone of Leo's voice sent chills down his spine. He turned onto his back and maneuvered himself into a sitting position. "I'm listening, Leo." 

Leo began, "At 9 pm tonight, US Airways flight 176 took off from Washington National Airport, carrying 153 passengers and 6 crew members. At approximately 10:30 pm, the air traffic control tower lost all communication with the flight. At 11:15 pm-..." 

The President's eyes were wide and he spoke softly, as he interrupted Leo's sentence, "It's them, isn't it?...It's Josh and Donna's flight." 

Leo nodded sadly, "Yes, sir, it is." 

The President sighed and bent his head, as he brought his hand to cover his eyes. He spoke, "Tell me what else you know." 

Leo continued, "At 11:15 pm, Sam received a call from Donna while at Mallory's. She informed him that a group of Middle Eastern hijackers had taken over the plane. It is their intention to use Josh's connections with the White House. It seems we have imprisoned the lead hijacker's son and he wants you to free him...That was all Donna said to Sam before the line went dead." 

The President finally brought his gaze back to Leo, his eyes shone with worry, anger and disbelief. He whispered softly, "Dear Lord." He then swallowed against the lump in his throat and continued, "Do we know of any injuries?" 

"None that we are aware of, sir. The hijackers have not attempted to contact us yet, " Leo replied. 

The President shook his head, as he turned his eyes toward the window. "How could I have let this happen?" 

"This isn't your fault, sir," Leo answered. 

The President looked down at his hands, "It isn't? Then whose would it be, Leo? Josh and Donna are on that flight because I told them they had to be. They are sitting with guns directed at them because their boss has the title President of the Unites States...If it isn't my fault, then whose is it?" 

"It's the fault of the guys holding the guns, sir," Leo responded, his voice cracking. 

The President rubbed at his eyes. He was trying to clear his head. This wasn't the time to be pondering his mistakes and wondering what he could have done differently. He looked up at Leo, his strong voice betraying his fear, "Okay, I am going to get dressed. I'll meet you and the rest of the staff in the Oval office in fifteen minutes." 

Leo was about to nod, when the guard opened the door, walked to him and whispered something into his ear. Leo's eyes widened and he sighed loudly. "Thank you." The guard nodded and left. 

Leo turned back to face the President, "There's more, sir." 

"What?" he asked, his tone hesitant. 

"I've just been informed that the press has already gotten a hold of this story, sir. They're waiting outside as we speak and they want to hear from us." 

"Already?" Bartlet said weakly. "How could they have found out so quickly?" 

Leo shook his head, "I'm not sure, sir. There must have been a leak." 

The President nodded, his eyes focused directly on Leo's as he spoke, "This never should have happened, Leo. There should be no reason for a leak, no reason that we aren't all resting easy right now. We take measures to prevent these things from happening. I want to know how the hijackers found out so quickly that Josh was going to be on that flight...And I want to know how they even made it onto that plane. There had to be someone on the inside at the airline, Leo...There had to be someone on the inside here." He paused and then said softly, "They were just waiting for the right moment and I handed it to them on a silver platter." 

Leo nodded, "Yes, sir. And the press? I think we need to handle them immediately...If we don't, then they might begin speculating. It's best that we tell the general public what we know, before the press begins twisting things." 

The President nodded, "Let CJ tell them everything we know. She knows what else to say." 

"Yes, sir," Leo responded. "I'll see you at the office in a little while." 

With that, Leo turned and left. 

The President then bent his head and let the full impact of the situation hit him. 

* * * * * 

Leo stood in the Oval office, the somber faces of CJ, Toby and Sam staring back at him. 

"CJ, I want you to address the press right now. Only tell them what we know, nothing more. Do not take any questions and assure them that everything in our power is being done to ensure the safe return of all passengers. Tell them that we will keep them updated should anything occur." Leo spoke quickly and without emotion. It was a defense mechanism...It was easier for him to think of this situation as if it only involved strangers. CJ nodded in understanding and took a piece of paper from Leo with the flight number, time of departure and amount of passengers and crew members on board. He nodded at her, "Okay, go." 

As CJ left the room, the President entered the Oval Office. He looked at Toby and Sam. They were both sitting with a look of sheer shock on their faces. They slowly stood, as they always did when he entered, but didn't utter a word. He regarded them tiredly, "You don't have to stand." 

Toby shook his head, "We'd like to if you don't mind, sir." 

"Why?" the President asked. 

Toby spoke, his eyes avoiding the President's, "Because then this will feel like we're dealing with a run-of-the-mill crisis, like it's any other day...Then it won't feel personal...We need this not to feel personal right now." 

The President nodded in understanding at them, "Whatever is easiest for you two." He then paused and spoke as authoritatively as possible, "By what you just said, I know that you both understand the gravity of this situation and the need to deal with it as professionally as possible. Two people that we have come to care for, as well 151 more, are at risk. We must be careful that we don't allow our emotions to rule our heads." 

They both nodded in agreement. The President continued, while looking at Sam. "Sam, I want you to find out how the hijackers got the information that Josh would be on that flight in such a short amount of time. The only way they could have gotten that information is through us, they must have been waiting for one of my people to be left open to harm. Then I want you to find out how they got onto that plane...There must have been someone on the inside at the airline, as well. Okay, that's all." 

Sam nodded, "Yes, sir." Then he left the office. 

The President then turned to Toby, "I want you to find out how this story got leaked to the press, Toby. There could be a link between that leak and how they got the info on Josh's flight plans. I also want you to get me the names and background of every male that we have incarcerated in the last 10 years who are originally from the Middle East. I know that might take a while, but that information could be useful down the line. Okay, that's it." 

"Yes, sir," Toby responded and then exited the room. 

The President squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed his temples methodically. He then turned to face Leo, his voice wavering, "I don't know that I can give him what he wants without compromising this administration, Leo." 

"We'll figure something out, Mr. President," Leo replied, his eyes betraying the confidence with which his words had been spoken. This did not go unnoticed by Bartlet. 

* * * * * 

Toby and Sam stood in front of the television in Sam's office. They were waiting for CJ to begin her press conference. Toby turned to Sam, his voice sincere, but with an embarrassment that he could not hide. "They're going to be okay, Sam...Josh is going to fine." 

Sam nodded and gave him an appreciative smile, "I know, Toby." 

They returned their gaze to the television and watched as CJ approached the podium. Toby spoke, "You told her everything you told me, right?" 

Sam nodded, as he tried to push the memories from his mind, "Yes." 

"You told her about Donna then," Toby said as more of a statement than a question. 

"Donna? What was there to tell? CJ knew she was on the flight with Josh," Sam answered in confusion. 

Toby turned to him, his eyes wide with shock, "No, no she didn't. The President didn't want her to know because he thought she might take it the wrong way and object to using Donna to sway Vining. He figured why rock the boat for something that would never...never really matter," Toby's voice trailed off and then he continued, "Leo, didn't tell you before you left?" 

Sam sighed, as he ran a hand down his face, "No, I left a little early so that I could make Mallory a birthday dinner. I guess he never got the chance...And I was in such a panic when I called CJ that I only said Josh's name and never mentioned Donna...I...I didn't even realize that until now." 

Toby moaned, as they both turned back to look at CJ, who was now well into her conference. He placed a hand to his mouth and muttered, "She doesn't know about Donna." 

Knowing the press as they did, they knew what this meant. 

Sam spoke softly, his eyes on CJ's figure, "Oh God...She's about to be ambushed." 

* * * * * 

The lead hijacker clicked off a cell phone he'd been speaking on and then turned his head in Josh and Donna's directions. He leered at them, causing shivers to course through their bodies. 

He walked towards them slowly, his glare never leaving their faces. Once he'd reached their seats, he leaned close to Donna's face, but spoke to Josh. "Well, I've just been informed that your boss knows about the fun I've been having...Care to theorize on how that was made possible?" 

Josh's lips remained pursed. The hijacker then brought his eyes to Donna, "Hmm, could it be, Mr. Lyman, that you haven't been telling me the truth? I'll do a little theorizing of my own." He paused and then whispered into Donna's face, yet his words were still directed at Josh. "Maybe your lovely seat mate didn't call her husband and children, maybe she doesn't even have a husband and children...Maybe she works for the White House, just like you do...Maybe you care for her...And maybe I'll use her to my advantage." 

As he finished, he swept his hand down Donna's cheek, while a cruel smile played across his lips. 

* * * * * 

CJ was about to conclude her press conference, "Everything is being done to ensure that all aboard are returned safely. We will inform you of any new information that is made available or any developments that may occur. Thank you." 

CJ had barely said her last word, when a flurry of hands shot up and a dizzying sound of questions flew out of their mouths. She shook her head, as she spoke above the noise they created, "I am not taking questions right now. Everything we know so far, I have told you." 

CJ was about to step away from the podium when Danny Concannon's voice rang out above the others. "CJ, are you sure you've told us everything?" 

CJ turned her head in his direction and regarded him suspiciously. "Yes, Danny, I am sure." 

Danny shook his head and held up a sheet of paper, "If I told you I have the passenger log for US Airways Flight 176 right here in my hand, would you feel differently?" 

CJ's eyes narrowed at him, "How did you get that? The passengers' names, with the exception of the Deputy Chief of Staff's, have not been released to the public or the press yet." 

Danny shrugged, "I have my sources, CJ." 

"Well, tell your sources that they broke the law," CJ replied. 

"I'll be sure to do that." Danny paused and then continued, "Are you going to answer my question now?" 

"I was under the impression that I already had." 

Danny sighed, "Then let me ask another one. Besides Deputy Chief of Staff Joshua Lyman, is there another White House employee on that plane?" 

CJ swallowed hard, as she now realized more completely what Danny knew that she did not. CJ paused for a long moment...She didn't want to seem ill-informed, yet she also didn't want the public or the press to feel that she was holding something back. 

CJ took too long to answer, so Danny spoke again, "Don't you think that the public has a right to know if another employee of the White House, one whose salary they help pay with their tax dollars, is also endanger aboard that plane?" 

CJ took a deep breath and tried to form a thought. She decided she had no other choice but to end the press conference right there, "I have informed the public of everything that concerns them right now...That will be all." 

CJ hurriedly left the podium and exited the room, amid a barrage of questions and a few discreet snickers. 

She almost ran right into Sam. CJ stopped and brought a steadying hand to her forehead. Then she glared at him, "What was that about, Sam? What don't I know?" 

Sam avoided her eyes, "Donna...She's on the plane with Josh. I thought you knew until a few minutes ago." 

CJ's eyes widened in shock and she said in a barely audible voice, "Donna...Oh God." Then her shock gave way to anger, as her eyes flared, "Where's Toby?!" 

Sam responded softly, "In his office." 

With that, CJ stormed off in that direction. 

* * * * * 

Toby sat in his office, his head in his hands. He was very worried about Josh and Donna, but he was trying his best not to show it. Toby was not good at dealing with his emotions; he never had learned to express himself in a way that felt comfortable. 

Now, to make matters worse, he was about to receive a very unpleasant visit from CJ....He knew it was coming, no one had to tell him. 

CJ approached his door, tugged at its knob to open it and then slammed it closed with a graceful swish of her hand. Toby immediately stood up when she entered the room. CJ approached his desk, her anger seething so much that her body practically radiated heat. "Tell me why I just stood in front of a gaggle of hungry reporters and made a complete fool out of myself, Toby?!" 

"CJ, it was a misunderstanding." Toby said unconvincingly. 

"A misunderstanding? Don't give me that, Toby! I sat right here in this room and asked you where Donna was and you lied to me." CJ paused and then pointed to the doorway, "Then I stood right there and asked you if you were keeping something from me, and you lied again! So, tell me, because I want to understand, how could this have been a misunderstanding?!" 

Toby spoke under his breath, his eyes directed towards his feet, "You weren't supposed to go out there not knowing. I thought someone had told you by then." 

"Why didn't *you* tell me?...Why didn't anyone tell me before any of this happened? Why was I left out there to drown, left feeling like someone on the outside looking in again?!" CJ asked, the hurt she felt by this clearly present in her voice. 

Toby sighed, "CJ, no one thought it would come to this. The President didn't want you to know that Donna was going because he thought you might feel we were using her to sway Vining...And we weren't. He just wanted her to help Josh keep his temper in check. The President figured why risk making an issue out of something that would never even matter." 

CJ shook her head, her voice eerily calm now, "Well, it does matter, doesn't it? I have tried, Toby...I have tried to do the best I can as a woman working in a man's world. I don't go around spewing words of feminism, I've never ripped my bra off and tried to burn it in the middle of the Oval Office. I've never given any of you a reason to think that I would react that way...I've never given you any reason to think that I wouldn't understand what has to be done in the name of politics...The men of this administration just assumed...Yet I was the one who paid the price...I was the one left looking foolish." 

Toby rubbed at his chin "I don't know what you want me to say, CJ. I was just following the President's wishes...I didn't agree with him, I just did as I was told." 

CJ nodded her head angrily, "And that is the problem, Toby. You always fight for what you believe in. You've never once held your tongue when you disagreed on an issue. So why didn't you fight for me then? I know it seemed inconsequential, but it speaks of a much larger issue...One that has plagued this staff from the beginning. It speaks of the lack of respect and trust given to me by all of you, simply because I am a woman." She stopped and then said softly, "But I've never had to spew these words of feminism until the men in my life forced me to...And that's the real shame in all of this, that's a pity." 

Toby had been struck silent by her words, but he was going to forced himself to speak anyway, "CJ, I-..." His efforts, however, were stopped by Leo's voice. 

He now stood in the doorway, although neither had even heard him open the door. "That's enough," he said. 

CJ turned to face Leo, as Toby's eyes also gravitated to his figure. Leo took a step forward and spoke to CJ, "Look, I know you're angry because of what happened and you have every right to be, but now is not the time to express that." Leo paused and then took a deep breath, his tone admonishing, "Have you even been listening to yourself, CJ? As right as you may be, this isn't about you right now. Josh and Donna's lives, as well as many others, are at stake...This isn't about you. We have to find a way to work together to help them, they are depending on us...I think you both better start remembering that."

CJ's eyes lowered and she felt the guilt rise up in her. She had been acting selfishly, no matter how justified she may have been. She spoke softly, "I apologize, Leo."

Leo nodded, as Toby gestured his silent apology to him. Leo spoke again, "There is work to do."

With that, Leo turned on his heel and left. CJ had turned to leave, when Toby's soft, hesitant voice halted her movement, "I'm sorry, CJ...You're right, I should have fought for you."

CJ kept her back to him and, without a word, left the room.

* * * *

Sam sat at his desk, a million thoughts flooding his mind. He was trying to work, he was trying to do all that the President had asked of him, but he just couldn't concentrate long enough to get anything done.

Josh was his best friend and his mind was being consumed by chilling scenarios of what could happen to him. Sam didn't know what he'd do without Josh and he hoped he'd never had to find out.

Josh had always accepted him for who he was. Sam could be naive, goofy and nervous, but Josh had simply accepted him. Sam had never had that kind of acceptance before. As a child, he had been teased for his good-natured personality. As a teenager, he'd been taken advantage of because of his gullibility. But Josh had been different, he saw the good in those qualities...And he had helped Sam finally accept and feel comfortable with himself.

It made Sam angry to think that Josh's life was now at stake because he was doing his job. It could have been any one of them, yet Josh had been dealt such a cruel fate.

Sam bent his head and twisted his fingers into his hair.

He heard his door open and someone approach his desk, but he never lifted his head. "I'm busy," he said coldly.

"Sam," Mallory responded.

Sam slowly lifted his head to her and she saw that his eyes were brimming with tears. He quickly turned his head away from her and rubbed roughly at his eyes. "I'm busy, Mal. I don't have time to talk."

Mallory walked around the desk and sat on its corner. She brought her hand to his face, touching his chin so that his face tilted up to her, "Let me help, Sam."

Sam shook his head and chuckled bitterly, "What can you do, Mal? Because unless you can make it so Josh and Donna are not on that plane right now, their lives not in danger, then I don't think you can help."

"Let me help you," she replied softly.

"You can't do that either," he responded, his eyes leaving hers.

Mallory shook her head, her voice intentionally forceful, "Don't do that, Sam...Don't shut me out because you're hurting."

"I don't know how to do this, Mal," he said, his voice cracking.

Mallory smiled slightly and touched his cheek, "There's no right or wrong way, Sam. I know you're used to being good at most things, except giving White House tours," Mallory paused and Sam laughed lightly. "But you don't have to be good at this...Let me help you."

Sam nodded and looked up into her eyes. His voice was fighting the emotion threatening to choke it, "Josh was the first friend I ever made here, Mal. I was the last one to join the campaign staff and he immediately made me feel comfortable. He made me feel like it was okay not to know everything, that it was okay not to be so serious all of the time. He picks me up when I get nervous and I pick him up when he looks like he's about to blow. He's the sole reason Toby hasn't strangled me by now." Sam laughed softly, as Mallory smiled at him. "I don't know what I'd do without him."

Mallory took his hand in hers, "I'm not going to tell you that he's going to be fine, because I don't know that, Sam. But I do know Josh...He's one of the strongest people I've ever met. He's smart and he's a fighter. I know that he will do everything in his power to make sure that he and Donna come back to us just fine."

Sam nodded and then said softly, "Donna...She's the best thing to ever happen to him, Mallory. She's always been able to put him in his place, keep him from getting too big of a head. She's never stroked his ego, " Sam paused and then added, "He's in love with her, you know. He doesn't know it, but he is."

Mallory smiled, "She's in love with him, too, Sam. They're both too stubborn to admit it, but you can see it in their eyes."

Sam replied, "I just hope they don't miss their chance."

Mallory nodded and hoped off the desk. She came close to him and then brought her lips to his in a gentle kiss. When they separated she added in a whisper, "I hope they get a chance to have what we do."

* * * * *

Josh turned his head to look at Donna, who was staring blankly at the seat in front of her. The pain in his abdomen had subsided considerably and the plane had been quiet since the hijacker had found out they knew each other. It had taken all of Josh's energy not to lash out at the lead hijacker when he had touched Donna like that. Josh knew that he couldn't afford to make him angry right now.

After the hijacker had left their side, he'd gone to talk to his men. They'd been talking for close to forty-five minutes now. Josh figured they were planning on how to use Donna to get him to do what they needed. Josh was fully prepared to comply, but he knew he might not be able to get the President to meet their demands...And that's where Donna would come in...They would threaten her to get Josh to try harder, they would use her to force the President's hand.

Josh touched Donna's arm, causing her to look at him. He spoke softly, "You have to know how sorry I am that you're in this position, Donna...You shouldn't be here."

Donna smiled slightly, "None of that matters, Josh."

Josh shook his head, his eyes leaving hers and guilt filling his voice. "Yes, it does. If it weren't for me, you'd be back in Maryland right now, safe and sound. I shouldn't have forced you and I am sorry." Josh looked down at his hands, as his voice fell silent.

"You did what you had to, Josh. I don't blame you for that. You needed my help to get the bill passed, there's no way you could have known it would turn out like this," Donna replied.

Josh shook his head again, her words doing nothing to alleviate the guilt that was beginning to consume him. Donna noticed this and placed her hand over his. The gesture caused Josh's gaze to lift to her face.

She spoke softly, "I've never told you this before, but I think you need to hear it now. Leo told me something about you a while ago. I was mad at you for some reason and I called you an inconsiderate, selfish jerk. He shook his head at me and said that I couldn't be more wrong about you. He told me what you said when you received your card for shelter in case of a nuclear attack, he told me how you felt about being the only one to get it." Josh's eyes widened a little, he was surprised that Leo had told her. She continued, "He told me what you said word for word and one part has stayed with me. You said: 'I want to be a comfort to my friends in tragedy. And I want to be able to celebrate with them in triumph. And for all the times in between, I just want to be able to look them in the eye'."

Josh's eyes began to lower, but Donna lifted her hand to his chin so that his eyes met hers again. She spoke in an emotional whisper, "I always knew you had those words in you, Josh...I always knew you were that kind of man, I was just waiting for you to realize it. I want you to stop blaming yourself for this, because I don't regret any of it. If I knew what I know now, I would still step onto this plane with you. I want to fight this with you, Josh, and I want to be a comfort to you in any way I can, no matter how it turns out...I wouldn't have wanted it any other way," Donna concluded, as Josh looked at her in awe. He'd always known she was an amazing woman, he just hadn't realized how amazing until now.

He finally spoke in a husky whisper, "I don't deserve that kind of loyalty from you, Donna. I don't know even know how you've put up with me for this long...A lot of bosses, not to mention friends, would treat you so much better than I have."

Donna's lips curled into a smile, "But a lot of bosses, not to mention friends, wouldn't have put up with *me* for this long." She paused and then added softly, "The best part of my day is the moment I see your face every morning, Josh...That's when I know that you're going to do something to make me laugh, something to make me smile."

Josh grinned, his eyes finally brightening, "And I know that you're going to do something to piss me off."

Donna laughed lightly, "I live for that."

Josh's eyes became serious again, "You've also made it a habit not to listen to me...What you did before was brave, Donna, but it was a risk...You have to promise me that you won't try something like that again."

Donna smiled, "Only if you promise me that you're not going to come running to my defense again."

Josh shook his head, a smile playing across his lips, "You know I can't do that."

"And you know I can't promise not to take risks." She paused and then added mischievously, "I've never listened to you before, Josh...I'm not about to start now."

Josh sighed and ran a hand through his hair, as he smiled in defeat.

* * * * *

A few minutes later, the lead hijacker approached them. He directed his words to Josh, "I am ready to make contact with your boss now, but my demands have changed."

Josh shook his head worriedly, "Look, I wasn't even sure I could get you what you wanted in the first place, if you up the demand, I might not be able to help at all."

The man's mouth twisted into a smirk, "Oh, you'll help or your lady friend will die...It's that simple."

Josh couldn't help himself, "You arrogant bastard."

The man shook his head, "Uh-ah, remember how I react when provoked."

Josh clenched his jaw, "What else do you want?"

"Actually, it's always been what I wanted. I just wasn't sure I could get it until now. The President will have to comply if *two* of his employees lives are at stake, not to mention 151 others...The American people will frown upon a leader who allows two of his own to perish." He stopped, grinned and then continued, "My son was the head of an Islamic organization. In accordance with our Islamic beliefs, his organization proclaimed there to be only one God, which we refer to as Allah. To pray to any other idol is against those beliefs. They worked to spread this word, just as Muhammad did. ..Because of these beliefs, he and twenty of his men were imprisoned by your government."

Josh's eyes narrowed, "Men of Muhammad? That's who you are referring to?"

"Yes," he replied.

Josh shook his head, "They were not imprisoned because of their beliefs. They were imprisoned because they blew up a Roman Catholic Church, killing thirty-five men and women, and twelve children!"

The man nodded, unmoved, "Yes and they did so because of their beliefs...The Christian religion teaches their people to pray to the Holy Trinity: The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit...This is in opposition to my son's beliefs and what his organization stands for."

Josh's eyes flared, his voice emerging angrily, "So they killed them?! That is not what the Islamic religion stands for...And no one was trying to stop his organization from freely practicing their religion and spreading their word in whatever peaceful way they pleased...But your son and his men killed those people simply because they did not share those beliefs!"

He nodded, "He did the work of Allah; those people were not worshiping only him." The man replied, with twisted logic. "And for that they were sentenced to thirty-five years in prison. They have served one year...I don't want them to serve one moment longer...I want them all released now...You will make that happen."

Josh placed a hand to his forehead and sighed. This situation had just become much more serious and a solution that would benefit everyone was all but impossible now.

* * * * * Mallory knocked on her father's office door and opened it all in one motion. She smiled at him, as she poked her head into the office. He looked up from the work on his desk and offered his daughter a gentle smile. "Hi, Mal."

"Hi, Dad," she greeted him, as she entered the office and took a seat across from him.

He looked at her thoughtfully, as if he feared she'd disappear at any moment. "How are you holding up? I know how close you've become with both Donna and Josh," he said.

"I'm okay," she said softly.

"And Sam? Have you checked on Sam? You know how he and Josh are," Leo replied.

Mallory smiled slightly at her father, "He's doing better now."

"Good," Leo said, as he looked back down at his work.

Mallory got up from her seat and leaned over her father's desk. She placed a warm, comforting hand over his, "How are you doing, Dad?"

"I'm fine, Mal," he said unconvincingly, his eyes never meeting hers.

Mallory shook her head, "Dad, tell me the truth. I know how you can be when someone you care about is in trouble. You try to distance yourself from it, you try to take care of everyone else...You need to take some time for yourself, too."

Leo sighed and, after a few moment, finally lifted his gaze to hers. "I'm scared," he whispered softly.

Mallory rubbed his hand, "It's okay."

"It's not," he said, as his eyes left hers. "I have no right to be scared, Mal. I'm fine, my life's not hanging in the balance. My child's not on that plane...I have no right."

"You have every right, Dad. You're human and you care about Josh and Donna. Of course, you're scared," Mallory responded.

Leo nodded, as his eyes met hers again...But his mind seemed a million miles and a lifetime away as he spoke, "Josh reminds me of myself at that age, you know."

Mallory didn't say anything...She saw in her father's eyes that he just needed to speak. He continued, emotion filling his voice, "He reminds me of a time when nothing scared me. When I felt all but invincible. I was going to save the world, I was going to make a difference. He reminds me of a time when all that mattered to me was doing right by people...I felt I had the power to fix everything." Leo said softly, his voice trailing off. He swallowed hard and then went on, "Then that all changed. One moment and I was never the same again...One stupid moment when a sixteen year old boy ran a stop sign and killed my eleven year old son...A part of me died with Patrick that day, Mal."

Mallory wiped at her face, as a tear slowly cascaded down her cheek. She'd never forget the day that her younger and only brother had died. Leo continued, his eyes staring blankly at the paper on his desk, "That was the day I found out I couldn't save the world and I couldn't fix everything...No matter how much I wanted to...And that was a horrible feeling, Mal. It was horrible to know that I could help people I didn't even know, but that I couldn't save my own son...I didn't want to feel that helpless, that powerless, so I did the only thing I could...I did the one thing I could control, or at least I thought I could, I drank."

Leo brought his fingers up to his face and wiped at his cheeks roughly. He hadn't even realized he'd been crying. "Josh is about to realize what I did all of those years ago. He can't fix everything...I just hope he handles it a lot better than I did."

Mallory walked around the desk and enveloped her father in a hug. She spoke softly to him, "I never wanted you to fix everything, Dad. I just wanted you to need me more than your next drink...That's all Mom ever wanted, too."

Leo nodded, as he pulled back from his daughter, "I'm sorry, Mal. It took away the pain, it numbed me from the world that I didn't want to know anymore. But you're the reason I'm still here. I saw what it was doing to you and I knew that I couldn't hurt you like that anymore...I thank God everyday that I still have you in my life."

Mallory smiled, "You never have to worry about that, Dad...You're stuck with me for the long run."

Leo smiled gently and then watched as she walked away from him and to the door. She smiled and said softly, "Everything's going to be okay this time, Dad...Try to believe that."

Leo nodded and then watched as she disappeared.

* * * * *

CJ was sitting at her desk when she heard a knock on the door. "Come in," she said.

CJ lifted her eyes to the door and perused the figure of a young female that she had never before met. The woman smiled slightly, her cheeks flooding with red, "I'm sorry for bothering you, but nobody was outside."

"That's okay, how can I help?" CJ replied.

The woman opened the door some more and entered the room, "You're CJ Cregg, right?"

"Yes."

She nodded, "I saw you on TV...My name's Teri Moss."

CJ's mouth opened slightly when she heard her last name. "Moss? Are you related to Donna?"

Teri nodded sadly, "She's my sister."

CJ swallowed hard, "Oh my...Please, sit down."

Teri perched herself on the edge of the seat. It was only now that CJ realized how much she resembled Donna. She was fair-skinned and had blonde hair, only longer. She was shorter than Donna, with a fuller face and seemed to be a few years younger. She also had shyness about her that Donna never had.

Teri looked down at her hands, her voice trembling as she spoke, "I...I didn't know where else to go. You see, I just moved here and I don't really know anyone...I was watching the news tonight when I saw you come on TV. I immediately got a bad feeling. I didn't even know Donna was planning on going anywhere, it must have been last minute...But I could just tell something was wrong...And then...When that reporter said what he said, I just knew...I didn't know what else to do."

CJ took off her reading glasses and shook her head at her sympathetically, "I'm so sorry you had to find out like that...Someone should have notified you before then...It's just been so crazy around here that I guess it slipped through the cracks."

"It's okay...I kind of got the feeling I wasn't the only one who was surprised by this," she said.

CJ looked away from her eyes, "Yes, there was a misunderstanding here."

CJ felt her guilt begin to swallow her up. She couldn't believe how selfish she'd been. She had flown off the handle, acting as if she'd been betrayed...But this woman in front of her had realized her sister was on the flight from a newscast. Teri must have been scared out of her mind, she thought...CJ suddenly felt like a very petty person.

CJ brought her eyes back up to Teri's. Her voice emerged softly and even she was surprised by her words, "Tell me about her...Tell me about Donna."

Teri's eyes widened in surprise, "But you work with her, don't you know her?"

CJ shook her head, "I've seen her practically everyday for more than three years now, but I just realized I don't really know anything about her...Not like I should."

Teri smiled slightly, seemingly glad to be given the chance to talk about her sister, "Donna is the kindest person I've ever met. When we were kids, she would go to our neighbor, Mrs. Potter's house, everyday after school. She read her books because Mrs. Potter's eyes had succumbed to diabetes...And Donna was always very quirky. She used to make my father wait to mow the lawn until she had picked all of the dandelions. She always said they were pretty and that nothing that pretty should just be destroyed without a thought. It didn't matter that everyone else saw them as nothing more than weeds...Donna saw more...She sees beauty in everything, always has."

CJ smiled, as her hand cupped her face. She was listening intently. "Donna always stuck up for me, too. I was quiet, so people would pick on me because of that. She would always tell them that when I had something to say, I would say it. Donna's always been so strong and she's helped me so much. I just got out of a bad marriage and she told me that the best way to get over it was to just start over completely. That's why I came here...She was...is going to help me start over." Teri said, as her voice began choke.

CJ smiled at her, "Your sister is a wonderful woman, Teri. You're very lucky to have her in your life."

Teri smiled softly, "Donna loves working here, you know. She feels like she is making a difference for this country, no matter how small...That's what she's always wanted." Teri paused and then added, "She's also very devoted to him."

"Josh," CJ said.

"Yes," Teri confirmed with a slight smile, "She always tells me about him. Donna thinks he stands for what he believes in, she admires him so much."

"He feels the same about her, Teri. Donna is invaluable to him," CJ replied.

Teri nodded and then replied softly, "Sometimes I hear something in her voice when she talks about him, see something in her eyes...I don't know, sometimes I think there's more."

CJ nodded and smiled at her, "So do I...Just give them a chance and they'll figure that out, too."

Teri's head bobbed in agreement. Then she lowered her eyes and played with the buttons on her shirt. She said in a barely audible whisper, "She's going to be okay, right?"

CJ nodded hesitantly, as her uncertainty betrayed her words, "Yeah, she's going to be just fine."

Teri stood up then and smiled at CJ, "Thank you...I needed to hear that. I know you have work to do, so I'll be going now."

"Okay," CJ said, "Leave me your number and I'll let you know if anything else happens."

Teri nodded and scribbled her number on a piece of paper offered by CJ. Then she smiled gently and said, "Bye," before leaving.

CJ sank down into her chair, as the door closed behind Teri. She lifted her eyes to the ceiling and said in a whisper, "Okay, I got your point...Thanks for the reminder." Then she smiled as she went back to her work.

CJ had temporarily forgotten what was most important; she wouldn't let that happen again.

* * * * * *

The lead hijacker shoved a cell phone into Josh's hand, "It's time."

Josh looked wearily at the phone and then brought his eyes back to the man, "Before I do this, you have to understand that I might not be able to get you what you want. It is not the President's policy to give into the threats. And your demands are so high that I don't see how he could possibly comply. There are many things that he has to consider in this."

The man scowled at him, "I don't want to hear your excuses, Mr. Lyman. If you can't get your boss to comply on the first try, then I will make it so you try harder on the second." He pointed his gun at Donna and smiled. Josh took her hand in his, as he offered the only comfort possible.

"Please, listen to me," Josh pleaded, "I am going to do my best, but my best might not be good enough."

The man's eyes were as hard a stone as he spoke, "Mr. Lyman, you will get me what I want or your lady friend will be harmed. You have two tries. You fail the first time and she will be hurt...You fail a second time and you will be."

Josh swallowed hard, as he felt Donna's grip tighten on his hand. The man continued, "Call your President and tell him that he has two hours to consider my demands. When that hour is up, we will call him again and he will give me his answer."

Josh nodded, as he took the phone from him. He then dialed the number, his fingers trembling as he did so. His call was answered at the White House and then transferred to the President's line in the Oval Office.

The President stood in his office, surrounded by Sam, Toby, Leo and CJ. They'd all been notified when Josh's call had come. Leo nodded to Bartlet to press the button to put Josh on speaker phone. The President did so and then spoke, "Josh, is that you?"

"Yes, sir, it is."

"You and Donna okay?"

"Yes, sir." Sighs of relief spread throughout the room.

"And everyone else?"

"They're fine, too, sir."

"Good, good," the President said, as a relieved breath emerged from his mouth, one that he felt like he'd been holding for an eternity.

Josh cleared his throat and spoke quickly, "Sir, I have to tell you of his demands."

The faces of all in the room shone with even more worry at the sound of Josh's voice. His words seems to express a more hopeless situation than they'd expected.

"Go on, Josh," the President said hesitantly.

Josh sighed and then spoke, "He wants you to free his son and twenty other men. They were a part of 'Men of Muhammad', the organization that blew up the Roman Catholic Church and killed forty-seven people two years ago."

The staffers let out a collective gasp, the sheer arrogance of the demand shocking them.

The President ran a hand over his mouth, as he tried to control his anger, "Josh, have you explained to him the seriousness of his demand and how difficult it would be for me to grant it?"

"Yes, sir, I have. He doesn't care. We will call you back in two hours and you must give us your answer then."

The President squeezed his eyes shut and whispered, "Josh."

Josh glanced at the man who hovered over him and then tried to say one last thing, "Sir, if you don't comply when we call back, he's going to-..."

Josh's sentence was cut off when the hijacker grabbed the cell phone and turned it off. Josh looked at him in confusion. The man spoke, "No, let him do as he pleases without the knowledge of what his decision may truly cost."

Josh's eyes flared, "But that's not-..."

"Fair?" he finished his sentence, "Fair's a game I don't play, Mr. Lyman."

* * * * *

Silence filled the air of the somber room where the staffers stood in shock. It had been a full minute since they'd lost contact with Josh, yet the President was still saying his name into the speaker. "Josh, Josh," he repeated.

Leo finally placed a hand to his shoulder and said softly, "Jed." Bartlet snapped free of his thoughts when he heard his name. In that moment, he wondered how long it had been since Leo had used his first name.

He rubbed at his face and turned around to face his staff. He took a moment to clear his throat before speaking, "Sam, have you found what I asked of you?"

They all looked at Bartlet strangely and Sam didn't answer. The President spoke more authoritatively, "I asked you to do something, Sam, and now I am asking what you found. Are you going to tell me or shall I guess?"

Leo spoke, "Sir, I really don't think any of that matters anymore. We know what we're dealing with. That information is of no help to us now. We have to consider the issue at hand."

The President looked at him and spoke fiercely, "I want to know how this happened, Leo...It matters to me."

The room fell silent again, until Sam finally spoke up, "I found out quite a bit, sir. The hijackers were able to board the flight because one of their men was hired two weeks ago by the airline to load luggage. Their man on the inside helped hide them aboard the plane, which is also how they got the guns onto it."

The President shook his head in disbelief. He whispered more to himself than to the rest, "So damn easy...It was so damn easy."

The President then gestured in Sam's direction, "What about here? What did you find out about here?"

Sam swallowed hard, as he avoided his eyes, "They bribed someone on the late night custodial staff to bring them any information he could find on the Senior Staff's travel plans...He must have seen a note Donna left on her desk a few nights ago...After that, the rest was easy."

The President's eyes widened and he slammed his fist down on the desk in a sudden motion. This action caused the staffer's to jump slightly. He spoke to no one now, his eyes wild, "This shouldn't have happened!...Things like this shouldn't happen!. So much security, every precaution taken so that we are safe and a damn janitor comes and takes that away from us?!...How...How is that possible?!"

Leo once again brought a steadying hand to his friend's shoulder, "We can't do this now...You know we can't."

The President took a deep breath and then straightened up. He looked at them again, "Okay, I don't care what you found out now, Toby. That doesn't matter. We have to figure out what we're going to do...I just wish I knew where to start."

CJ spoke up then, "Is there any chance that the hijacker's are not aware of Josh and Donna's relationship?"

Toby shook his head, "I doubt it. They must know about the press conference and I am sure they've figured out that Donna tipped us off. If Josh was trying to keep her safe by having their relationship remain secret, then I am sure that brought an end to it."

"So you think Donna is endanger even more now?" Sam asked.

Leo nodded solemnly, "I think we can count on it. Josh was probably trying to warn us that our answer would decide her fate."

CJ gasped a little at the bluntness in his comment. Leo sighed, he hadn't met for it to sound like that.

"What are we going to do?" Sam asked, his words laced with worry.

Leo was about to respond when the President interjected, "I need to speak with my wife...I have to talk to Abbey."

They all looked at him in shock and then Leo spoke, "Sir, this is not the best time for that."

The President focused his eyes on Leo's, "You know as well as I do that we have very few choices, Leo...And I don't like any of them. I need to talk to Abbey, I need her to give me a fresh perspective on this."

Before Leo could say anything else, the President exited the room. They all stood there stunned, feeling more and more helpless by the moment.

* * * * *

Jed entered the residence. He knew that Abbey must have arrived by now. As soon as she had gotten the news, he knew she'd come to him...She always knew when he needed her.

Jed sat down on the couch and dropped his head into his hands. He was feeling so many emotions right then. His mind was swimming with feelings of guilt, fear, anger, disbelief, and powerlessness.

His head popped up when he felt the warm, familiar touch of his wife's hands on his shoulders. He took her left hand in his and then guided her around the couch so that she sat down next him. She smiled slightly and moved a piece of hair out of his face, "You look tired, Jed."

"I am, Abbey," he replied.

"Has there been any news on Josh and Donna?"

"Yes," he responded, as his eyes left hers. "The hijackers made contact. They want an answer in two hours. The lead hijacker wants me to release the 'Men of Muhammad', twenty one of them in all."

"They're the ones who blew up the Catholic church, right?" Abbey asked.

"Yes," he answered.

"Oh, Jed," she said breathlessly.

"I know. I can't do that, Abbey. I can't for a million reasons. I can't because then this administration would be left open to any number of threats...It would weaken us...I can't because it would threaten the right to practice religion freely in this country...Those men are dangerous, Abbey. I can't have the people of this country fearing for their safety every time they want to worship as they please...And how can I victimize the family members of those who died again by freeing their killers?...They are owed that justice, they are owed that peace of mind...Everyone in this country deserves that peace of mind," Jed concluded, his voice filling with more emotion at each passing word.

Abbey squeezed his hand in hers, "What aren't you telling me, Jed?"

He took a deep breath and then spoke, "I know that if I don't comply now he's going to hurt Donna...I could hear it in Josh's voice...She's his bargaining chip, he knows how much Josh cares for her."

"Oh, Jed, not Donna," Abbey said, her voice filled with concern.

"And he'll keep hurting someone until I do...Josh will come after Donna." He sighed and said softly, "I don't know what to do, Abbey. My hands are tied."

Abbey brought her lips to his forehead and kissed it gently, "You know what you have to do, Jed...You're just not seeing it right now."

Jed smiled slightly, "Abbey, if you know what that is, I'd appreciate you telling me."

Abbey smiled, "You won't be able to forgive yourself if you allow Josh, Donna or anyone else to be harmed...And it is virtually impossible for you to allow those men to be set free...You have to find another way. You have to buy some time until you can come up with another plan. They're going to have to land eventually, Jed. You might be able to use that to your advantage."

"I don't know, Abbey. From the sound in Josh's voice, I don't think this man's willing to bend."

"You have to try, Jed. What other choice do you have?" Abbey responded.

Jed nodded, "You're right, I don't have any other choice. I guess I knew that. I just needed you to tell me that I was letting my feelings cloud my judgment."

Abbey smiled, "And what about those feelings, Jed?"

Jed rubbed at his face, "Feelings...Damn it, Abbey, I don't know what to feel right now. I feel guilty that two of my own are up there because of me. It was my idea to even have Donna go along on that trip...I'm angry because with all the power I have, I couldn't stop this...I'm angry because it happened far too easily...I'm afraid because I don't know that I can help them...And all of that leaves me feeling powerless, yet their fate rests in my hands...There's no feeling worse than that."

Abbey brought her hand to his face and slowly lowered his head so that it rested on her chest. She gently stroked his hair as she spoke, "You can only do so much, Jed. Josh and Donna know that. Don't carry a burden that you won't be strong enough to rid yourself of...Because when all of this is said and done, you will still be the President of the United States and people will still depend on you...You have to make a decision right now not to let any of this feel like it's your fault, no matter how it turns out...This nation deserves that much...You deserve that much."

Jed sighed and spoke in a whisper, "I wish I could promise you that, Abbey. But I'm human and there's people I love on that flight...This is personal, I can't make it any other way."

With that, Jed lifted his head from his wife and stood up from the couch. Then he bent down and gave her a light kiss on the lips. "Thank you," he said softly, then turned around and began to walk to the door.

Abbey's voice halted him, her worry causing it to shake, "Please, Jed, don't take this all on you."

He shook his head and responded in a husky whisper, "I have to, Abbey...It's what I do."

With that, he exited the room.

* * * * *

President Bartlet walked into the Oval Office and found his staff already waiting there for him. They stood when he entered. It was almost time for the call.

He regarded them all seriously, "You know what I am going to say. We have very few choices here. Our best bet is to try to stall him. We have to buy us some time. If we can buy enough time, then maybe they'll have to land in order to refuel. They've been up there a long time, they're going to need fuel soon. If we can buy enough time for that to happen, then we might be able to figure something out. We might be able to work with the FBI to get a team onto that plane in order to overtake the hijackers...It's a long shot, but it's our only chance right now."

They all sighed. They didn't like this, but they knew there was no other choice right now.

Leo spoke up, "Sir, we have to be prepared for the possibility that the lead hijacker might not want any part of this...We have to understand that Donna may be hurt anyway."

The President nodded thoughtfully, "That's a chance we have to take, Leo."

Leo hesitantly nodded, "Yes, sir."

Just then, the phone rang. They all gathered near the President's desk and then listened as he pressed the speakerphone button. "Josh?"

"No," the lead hijacker said. "This is the man whose demands you must meet."

"Okay."

"May I have your answer, please?" he asked.

The President took a deep breath, "I was hoping that we could talk a little bit. You have to understand that what you have asked me to do is a very serious and complex thing. I am willing to do it, but it will take some time."

The hijacker's nostril's flared with anger, "That is unacceptable! You have been given plenty of time!"

The President tried to remain calm, as the man's outburst noticeably rattled his staff. "No, please, listen...I just need some more time. Arrangements must be made, surely you understand that."

The hijacker shook his head, seemingly realizing that this was just a ploy to buy time, "No, you have not complied!...Now someone you care about will have to pay the price!"

"No!" the President screamed into the speaker.

But it was too late. The hijacker had dropped the phone to the floor, intentionally leaving it on.

They could do nothing but listen helplessly now.

Josh and Donna's eyes widened in fear, as the hijacker lifted his gun to them. Josh tried to place his body in front of Donna's to protect her from any harm. "Please, don't," he said.

"You failed, Mr. Lyman, " he said with a cruel smile, "This is what failure reaps."

In one swift motion, his foot kicked Josh's body to the side and his gun fired a bullet into Donna's lower abdomen.

Her eyes registered a mind-numbing fear as the bullet entered her.

And all Josh could do was watch, his words failing him, his fear for her too paralyzing.

The staff on the other end had been stunned silent, as questions filled their minds and hearts.

The only sound now was the humming of a phone whose companion had been hung up.

The sound filled the ears of the room's occupants, its stark contrast to the room's silence seemingly causing it to rise to deafening levels.

* * * * *

It took a few moments for Josh to recover from his shock. When he'd finally come to terms with the situation the best he could, he leaned over to Donna and pressed a hand to her wound. He could only think of stopping the bleeding. Josh raised his head and found Donna's eyes barely open. He lifted his palm to her face and cupped it softly.

Donna opened her mouth slightly and whispered, "Josh."

Josh squeezed his eyes shut, the effort it took for her to say his name almost too much for him to bear. He slowly opened his eyes again and tried to smile comfortingly at her, as his thumb rubbed circles on her cheek. "Don't talk, okay? You have to save your strength...I know you don't like to listen to me, but I'd really appreciate it if you'd humor me just this one time."

Josh watched as Donna tried to curl her lips into a smile, but her attempt failed as pain twisted the features of her face instead.

He swallowed hard, as he applied as much pressure to the wound as he could. The bleeding needed to be controlled as much as possible.

Josh whipped his head around and focused his glare on the lead hijacker. "She needs medical attention. You can't just leave her like this, damn it!"

The hijacker shrugged, "She will receive medical attention when my demands are met."

Josh shook his head, his words dripping with the anger he felt, "You don't have a conscience, do you? You couldn't possibly. If you had one, then you wouldn't have been able to shoot an innocent woman...She didn't do anything to you, she didn't deserve this...You're not a man, you're nothing but a coward."

The hijacker scowled and took a large step toward him. He bent down to meet Josh's gaze, "I'm not the one who allowed someone I care for to be seriously injured because of me, now am I? Take a look in the mirror, Mr. Lyman, before making such judgments."

Josh averted his eyes, the man's words stinging him. His guilt had already begun to fester in the darkest corners of his mind.

He swallowed against the lump in his throat and then met the man's eyes again. Josh knew he would have to deal with his guilt at some point, but he wasn't about to let this man shrug off his own responsibility in this. "You spout words and commit crimes in the name of Allah. Have you ever stopped to think that maybe Allah never meant for his word to be spread in such deplorable ways?...I bet you haven't...Maybe you should give it a try."

The hijacker remained unmoved by Josh's words, "Think what you like, Mr. Lyman. You're an arrogant fool, anyhow. I can see it in your eyes. You walk around with your head held high, looking down your nose at everyone else. It's about time someone put you in your place...You are like every other politician. You tell your lies, you gain the trust of others, then you burn them...I'm sure your lady friend trusted you and look what happened to her...She should have known to never trust a politician."

Josh lowered his head and then responded in a harsh whisper, "I may be all of those things, I may be none...You'll never know. But I can say this: At the end of every day I close my eyes and rest easy because I know that I am a decent human being...I'm quite sure you can't say the same."

The hijacker was about to open his mouth and respond, when Josh cut him off. "Save it, I don't care what you have to say. If you want a chance in hell of spending even one more moment of your miserable life breathing fresh air, then you better make sure this woman survives." Josh's voice trailed off on the last word, as his throat began to close up. Then he added, "That's all that should concern you."

* * * * *

The Oval Office resembled little more than a tomb. The stunned figures of the staffers were rooted to their spots...They had been for some time now...No one knew how long, time seemed to stand still after the gunshot had rocked their worlds.

Leo cleared his throat in an effort to break the maddening silence that had enveloped them. He was finally the first one to speak, as he directed his words to the President, "Sir, how should we proceed?"

The President stared at him for several moments with a blank expression. Leo had grown accustomed to reading his expressions, but this one said nothing. Bartlet responded, his voice low, "I don't know, Leo...I don't know what to do." He paused and then added in a voice lower than before, "Donna's hurt up there and I can't think of a damn thing to do."

Leo lowered his eyes and began, "He will be calling back again soon, we can be sure of that. We have to be ready with a better answer than the first."

The President nodded, as he struggled to keep his composure. He took a deep breath and tried to recall the back up plan he had developed in his mind while he waited for the call. A few moments ago, he hadn't been able to remember one shred of it. But as he looked at the eyes of the people standing before him, he knew that this wasn't the time to let his emotions rule his head. He had to be the President of the United States now, first and foremost.

He said slowly, "We have to give into his demands, Leo."

The mouths of the staffers fell open. Leo said softly, "Sir?"

The President shook his head, as he brought a steadying to his desk, "I mean we have to make him think we're a giving into his demands. It's the only way. Our only chance of resolving this with no further harm done is to get that plane on the ground...The best way to do that is to make him think we've complied."

Toby now spoke up, "Sir, how can we be sure that he'll order the plane to land if he believes we've complied?"

"We can't be sure, Toby...But I've been thinking about this. The men that he wants released are being held in Nevada's state prison. According to the last reports we received from air traffic control, the plane is on course and will be passing over Nevada in twenty minutes...I think he always planned on landing there. They only have fuel enough for a cross-country trip, so he wouldn't be able to get much farther anyway...He'll stop and refuel."

Sam now spoke, his voice unable to hide his fear, "So they land in Nevada...And then what?...A team of our men storms the plane?"

The President did not respond right away, so Leo handled the question. He hadn't been informed of the President's plan, but had guessed where he was going with it. "That's a possibility, but it would be difficult. We have to think as he would. He's going to want us to allow the released men onto the flight, so that he will be able to take off with them on it. Hopefully, he will free the passengers on the plane in return."

CJ shook her head in confusion, "I'm not sure I understand. How are we supposed to get the passengers off the plane if we don't have actually have any prisoners to give in return?"

The President responded, his eyes twinkling with a glimmer of hope for the first time in hours, "Twenty-one men will be loaded onto that plane, CJ...They just won't be the right twenty-one."

CJ, Toby, and Sam looked at him in confusion. They thought about it for a moment, as he raised his brow at them. Slowly, they nodded at they realized what the President had in mind and how he planned on pulling it off.

* * * * *

Josh felt a tap on his shoulder and reluctantly tore his eyes away from Donna. He lifted one of his hands off of her wound and looked down at the blood that marred his skin. He stared at it for a moment, the sheer significance of it chilling him to his core...He had Donna's blood on his hands and to him it was more than just a physical reality.

He looked at the man who sat to his left and had tapped his shoulder. For a moment, he found himself growing angry at the man who had annoyed him at the beginning of the flight. He felt certain he was about to repeat this offense at the worst possible time...But Josh held his tongue, as the man's eyes suggested something different.

He spoke softly to him, "My name is Steven Turner...I never properly introduced myself. I'm a doctor, actually a third year medical student...I'd like to help your friend if you'd let me."

Josh's eyes widened at him in surprise. He could hardly believe that this was the same man who had made such a strange first impression. Josh nodded, "Yes, thank you."

Steven nodded and got up from his seat. He maneuvered himself so that he knelt before Donna. He then reached over Josh and took a pillow that he'd been using. He removed the pillow from its case and kept the case. Steven folded the pillowcase and placed it over Donna's wound. He then brought his hand up to her face and lifted her eyelids to check her pupils. After he'd done that, he checked her pulse.

Steven turned to Josh and kept his voice low, "Your friend has lost a significant amount of blood. I'm concerned that she will begin to go into shock unless she receives proper medical attention very soon."

Josh swallowed hard and then clasped Donna's hand in his. Donna hadn't lost consciousness yet, but her eyes were closed and she hadn't said a word since Josh had asked her not to.

A moment later, the hijacker approached him. He threw the phone at Josh, "Call your boss again. Tell him that we will be landing in Nevada in ten minutes. I am sure by now he knows that I mean business and has made the necessary arrangements. Tell him that I want all twenty-one of my men released and waiting to board the plane when I get there. I also want to be refueled. After they have boarded and we have refueled, I will release all of the passengers and the crew members, except for the pilot and copilot. We will be flown to my desired location and will not be tracked. If I believe we have been tracked, then I will kill the pilot and the copilot. If all goes well, then I will leave them aboard the plane and they can return to where they please unharmed. Tell him all of that...And make sure he knows that no exceptions will be tolerated."

Josh slowly nodded, as his mind still wondered how the President could possibly meet his demands. He prayed that they had come up with a plan.

Josh dialed the number and was transferred to the President. The President pressed the speakerphone button, as the staffers stood around him. "Hello, Josh."

"Hello, Mr. President."

The President swallowed around the lump in his throat as he spoke, "How is Donna?"

"Not well, sir. She needs medical attention now," he said in a husky whisper, as the hijacker glared at him.

"She'll get it, Josh," the President said.

"Yes, sir," Josh paused and then said, "We will be landing in Nevada in ten minutes. He wants all twenty-one of his men to be released and waiting to board the plane when he gets there. He also wants to be refueled. After they have boarded and the plane has been refueled, he will release all of the passengers and the crew members, except for the pilot and copilot. He will then be flown to his desired location, with the promise that he will not be tracked. If he believes that he has been tracked, then he will kill the pilot and the copilot. If all goes accordingly, then he will leave them aboard the plane and they will be able return to where they please unharmed. No exceptions will be tolerated, Mr. President." Josh concluded, using almost all of the same words as the hijacker had.

The President and staff sighed in relief. He had done as they had hoped he would. They'd already made the necessary arrangements.

The President spoke softly, in a voice that warned Josh he wasn't to repeat what was about to be said, "Everything has been arranged...The prisoners have been given back their personal belongings...They will enter the plane wearing what they are accustomed to."

Josh tried not to seem visibly shocked by the President's hint of what was going to happen, but he did allow himself to release a discreet breath of air.

"Yes, sir," Josh finally replied.

"We will see you both soon, Josh," the President said in a gentle voice before hanging up.

Josh turned the phone off and looked at the hijacker. "All set," he said.

The hijacker nodded, a triumphant smile crossing his face.

Then Josh brought his hand to Donna's face and caressed her cheek. "Everything's going to be all right, Donna," he said in a whisper.

* * * * *

The President dismissed the staff after his phone call to Josh. Now it was a waiting game.

Bartlet walked to his desk and opened one of its drawers. He removed his rosary beads from it and then sank down into his chair.

He brought his hands up into a praying position, the beads twisted around them. Then he bent his head and spoke in a whisper that filled the silent room, "You've tested me before, haven't You? Seems You never tire of it. I guess I asked for it when I ran for this job. I bet You don't test supermarket cashiers and bank managers this much...Or maybe You do...Maybe You test us all as much as we can stand, I don't know."

He paused and sighed, "But this one really got to me. I know I walk around here acting like I have all of the answers, I know sometimes it doesn't look like I doubt myself...But You know better...So do I. I struggle everyday with the consequences of my decisions...Am I doing the right thing?...What is the right thing?...I ask myself those questions a thousand times a day...And some days I am rewarded for my decisions and struggles with a smiling citizen who thanks me for helping to pass some bill.

The President stopped, as tears sprung to his eyes, "Then there are days like this one...Where I know my decisions will cause pain no matter what they may be...There are days where all I want to do is fall to my knees and cry, days when I no longer want this job...But then I remember that parent or that child with gratitude in their eyes...I think of them and then I think of You...And I ask You to grant me the strength to make it through another day and to never make the tests more than I can handle." He paused again and then added more softly than before, "Please let them be okay."

The President concluded his conversation and then looked up to find Toby standing in front of him. Toby looked at him seriously and said softly, "Do you think He hears you?"

The President nodded, "I think he does."

"I'm not so sure anymore," Toby said, his eyes rooted to the floor.

"You have doubts, Toby...That's a part of everyone's faith." Toby didn't acknowledge him, so he continued, "Whenever I doubt if he's listening, I just take a moment and look around me. I look at the office I stand in, I look at the people I call friends, and the ones I call family...And then I remember that I asked him for them all." The President paused and then added, "He always listens, Toby...We just have to be willing to look for his answers."

Toby nodded, as a small smile crept across his lips.

* * * * *

The plane slowly skidded to a stop on the runway. Within a few moments, the door was flung open by one of the hijackers. He let down a ladder that was only to be used in case the emergency inflatable slide failed to open.

Josh watched the action carefully, his hand tightly clasped around Donna's.

The lead hijacker motioned to the man at the door to allow the released prisoners to begin to board the plane. Slowly, twenty-one men climbed the ladder and entered the plane. Their faces, except for their eyes, were hidden behind the veils that draped from their hoods. Their bodies were dressed in loose hanging fabric that covered them from head to toe...They were attired in the clothes customary to their land.

The lead hijacker smiled as the last one boarded. "Ah, finally my mission is complete!"

One of the men who'd just boarded recognized Josh from TV and glanced in his direction. Josh discreetly held up six fingers to indicate the number of hijackers aboard. There were four in Coach right now. The man bobbed his head ever so slightly.

The men who had just boarded were planning on waiting for the passengers and crew members to be released, before beginning their takeover. But the lead hijacker changed those plans, as he motioned to them to remove their veils so that he could see the faces he had missed, especially that of his son.

This was their signal to proceed. Their guns were suddenly lifted from the flowing clothes that had hidden them.

In a shocking moment to all aboard, four of the recently released 'prisoners' shot the four hijackers that were present in the area. The hijackers collapsed to the floor with wounds designed to only disable, as their mouths hung open to display their shock and their guns fell from their hands.

The men, who the passengers now knew to be FBI agents, worked to secure the rest of Coach, as they placed the hijackers in handcuffs.

Two agents were standing near the First Class curtain, as one of the remaining hijackers emerged with his gun raised. One shot to the abdomen and he was disabled. Three of the agents continued to the cockpit and one of them kicked the door in. The last remaining hijacker, began to fire his weapon wildly, but one shot to the chest and one to the leg disabled him, as well.

Two minutes and it was over...Terrifying hours had culminated in two fateful minutes.

When all six hijackers had been restrained and the plane was finally secure, the agent that Josh had signaled, approached him. He extended his hand, "Special Agent Tyler Donover, nice to meet you."

Josh smiled slightly, "Joshua Lyman and I couldn't be any happier to meet you...Thank you."

Tyler nodded and then looked at Donna, "She needs to be transported to a hospital right away."

Josh nodded urgently, "Yes, please get us off of this thing."

Tyler bobbed his head and then gestured to Josh that they would be the first ones off. Josh nodded, then turned to Steven and offered his hand, "Thank you for your help." Steven nodded a silent 'you're welcome' and shook his hand.

The agent then bent down to pick Donna up, but Josh waved him off, "I'll do it."

Josh gently picked Donna up and cradled her in his arms. He spoke to her softly, "You're safe now, Donnatella...You're going to be fine...I promise."

Josh walked to the front of the plane and then stopped momentarily, his eyes meeting the lead hijacker's as he sat against a wall. He was handcuffed and nursing a shoulder wound. Josh's words emerged bitingly, "Your arrogance caused you to make a grave mistake...Should have frisked them before letting them on the plane. Did you really think the President of the United States would allow scum like you to undermine his authority?"

Josh paused and then said with a grin that spread from ear to ear, "You trusted him...First rule of politics: Never trust a politician." He stopped and then added, "Your arrogance just got you a lifetime supply of striped clothing, stale bread and poor company...Rot in jail, you bastard."

Josh's words were rewarded with thundering applause from the other passengers.

With that, he carried Donna to the door and she was lowered to the ground.

A LifeStar helicopter was waiting for them. Donna was quickly loaded into it. Josh was just about to board it, when his face was captured by Donna's drained complexion. The color flooded from his own face and his heart caught in his chest. For the first time, he had allowed himself to think of the seriousness of the situation...For the first time, he had allowed himself the possibility of losing her. The blood in his veins turned to ice as the thoughts nearly caused him to vomit.

He couldn't do this, he couldn't go with her...He didn't deserve her in his life and he had already caused her so much pain. In Josh's mind, he felt he had no right to be her comfort now when he had placed her in this horrible situation...He felt it would only be serving some selfish need to alleviate his guilt...And he couldn't do that...He wouldn't.

One of the medics broke through his thoughts, "Sir, are you coming?"

Josh shook his head slowly, "No."

The medics looked at him strangely, but could say nothing as he walked away from them without another word.

* * * *

The President placed the phone back on its hook and smiled at them, "Everything went as planned. The hijackers are in custody, none of them were fatally wounded it seems. All of the passengers and crew members were released with no further injuries." The President paused and then said more somberly, "Donna is in surgery at Las Vegas General Hospital. She lost a considerable amount of blood, but the doctors are cautiously confident that she'll recover...We'll have to wait and see though."

They all smiled slightly, as a certain amount of relief spread across their faces.

"And Josh?" Sam asked.

The President lowered his eyes, "Josh refused to be transported to the hospital with Donna. The agents were unaware of this at first and so they did not see where he went...We don't know where he is right now."

Leo shook his head, "That doesn't sound like Josh."

CJ nodded in agreement, "The Josh I know wouldn't leave Donna's side until she was able to open her eyes and resume the banter they so enjoy."

Toby shook his head, his words solemn, "I think we better prepare ourselves for the fact that the Josh we know may be gone...At least temporarily."

The President nodded, "I agree, Toby...Which means he needs us right now...Pack your bags and be ready to board Air Force One in an hour...We're going to Vegas."

The staffs looked at him in shock for a moment before nodding. That's where they were needed now, they knew that. They hurried out of the office to go make the necessary arrangements. Carol would have to brief the press on the events of the last hour. Everything else didn't matter and could wait until Monday.

Leo looked at the President with a small smile, "You did it, sir."

The President placed a hand on his friend's shoulder and nodded, "We did it, Leo." * * * * *

Air Force One was relatively quiet, its passengers involved either in thinking, reading or whispered conversations.

The President had given special permission to allow Mallory and Teri onto the flight to Las Vegas. The First Lady had also accompanied them.

Bartlet knew that Donna needed her sister right now and he was sure that Sam needed Mallory. Sam had been very quiet during this entire ordeal. The few words he had spoken were delivered with a fear that Bartlet had never seen in Sam before. He was usually so positive. The President hadn't seen any sign of that in his eyes during this incident...He wondered if this had changed him, too...If the innocence that made Sam so endearing and unique had vanished with the fear of losing his best friend.

Mallory touched Sam's hand and turned her eyes to him, "Sam, you haven't said a word this entire time."

"I haven't had anything to say, Mal," Sam responded, without looking up from his book.

"I'd like to know how you're feeling."

"How do you think I'm feeling? My best friend is going to be just fine, I'm elated," Sam said in an unconvincing tone.

She smiled at him slightly, "You've always been a terrible liar, Sam."

Sam abruptly slammed his book shut and turned to her, his words emerging quickly, "What do you want me to say, Mallory? Do you want me to tell you what's been eating at me since I got that phone call from Donna, since my heart dropped into my stomach?...Do you want me to tell you that it should have been me up there?...Not Donna and not Josh." His voice trailed off and then he added softly, "Is that what you want to hear?"

Mallory's eyes widened and she struggled for her words, "What?...Sam."

He lowered his eyes and spoke in a husky whisper, "It should have been me. The President asked me to go first...I told him I had to see how much I'd be able to get done on the speech before I could commit. The last thing I wanted to do was waste my whole weekend flying all the way to California to meet with some pompous Senator, who wouldn't end up listening to a word I'd say anyway...The last thing I wanted to do was miss your birthday...So what did I do? What did good, honest Sam do? I phoned in the speech...I didn't give it my best because I knew that Toby would insist I stay and rewrite it...I figured a few relatively painful hours with Toby was worth it...I guess I was right."

Sam finished grimly, as he ran a hand through his hair. Mallory shook her head at him, "Sam, you can't blame yourself for this...Things happen a certain way for a reason...So it wasn't you on that plane...That's not your fault."

"Not my fault? Mal, I deliberately made it so I wouldn't be the one up there. Yes, I didn't know what that meant at the time, but that doesn't make it right...And it certainly doesn't make me feel better." He paused and then added softly, "Josh could have died and Donna is lying in a hospital right now fighting for her life...I played a hand in that, I can't deny it...I was selfish and others paid the price."

Mallory took his hands in hers and then placed a hand to his cheek to force his eyes to meet hers. She spoke gently, but with a determination that was not lost on him, "You're a good man, Sam. That's why this is bothering you so much. You're a good man and a good friend. You did something that wouldn't have mattered if it had been any other day. You didn't do it knowingly, Sam...And if Josh were here right now he would tell you that it didn't matter to him."

Sam shook his head, "He sat on a plane and wondered if these were his last moments...Donna took a bullet...I could have stopped all of that, Mallory."

"And what, Sam? Put yourself in their place? You could have died up there just as much as they could." Mallory paused and then added in a voice thick with emotion, "I can't pretend that I'm not glad it wasn't you up there, Sam...I just can't. I know that sounds horrible knowing what I do, but I can't change how I feel."

Sam's face softened and he wiped at a tear that had appeared on her cheek, "I know, Mal...And that doesn't sound horrible, it just sounds human." He stopped and then continued, "But do you understand how I might be feeling this way?"

Mallory nodded and squeezed his hand, "Yeah, I do. And I also think you need to let it go. You can't change what happened, Sam. The only thing you can do now is help Josh through this."

Sam nodded with a slight smile, as his guilt slowly lessened, "I intend to."

* * * * *

CJ looked at Toby, who sat next to her quietly reading. She really wanted to talk to him, but she had no idea how to approach it. Finally, after a few fruitless moments of pondering, she broke the silence lamely, "So what are you doing?"

Toby responded without looking at her, "It is commonly referred to as reading, CJ."

CJ blushed slightly and then muttered an embarrassed, "Oh, yeah."

She kept looking at him for a few more moments, without saying anything. Toby could feel her eyes on him and he was beginning to become uncomfortable. He finally sighed and then lifted his eyes to her, "CJ, you're not at Sea World and I'm not a dolphin. So either you stop gawking at me or you say what's on your mind."

CJ allowed a smile to cross her lips. Then the smile disappeared as she regarded him seriously. She said softly, "I'm sorry, Toby."

"For what?" he asked.

"For coming into your office and acting like a raving maniac."

Toby lowered his eyes from her, "I deserved it, CJ." She was about to object, when he smiled slightly and shook his head, "I usually don't tell others that I deserved the lashing they gave me, so just accept it and don't spread the word...Okay?"

CJ chuckled and then shook her head, "I can't do that, Toby. Truthfully, I meant every word I said to you. I just didn't mean how I said them and when they were said. It wasn't the time and I let my hurt feelings allow me to forget that."

Toby rubbed at his beard, "You really think we don't respect or trust you, CJ?"

"I think that sometimes you don't, yes." Toby sighed, his fingers nervously fingering the pages of his book. CJ continued, "I can see it in all of your eyes sometimes...There's a doubt there...You can't relate to me, so there's a doubt. I'm not saying that I haven't given you all reason to doubt me...I know I've made my share of mistakes...But all I've ever wanted from each of you was the trust I needed to keep trying and the respect to know that eventually I'd get it right." She stopped and then added, "And for you to fight for me every once in a while."

Toby smiled slightly and nodded, "I'll work on it." He then paused and continued, "But you better have this same conversation with Sam, Josh, Leo and the President...If I'm going to undertake the task of changing myself, a task I detest by the way, then they're going to do the same."

CJ smiled and nodded, "You got it."

* * * * *

The First Lady shook her head at her husband, as she watched him fiddle with his portable CD player. He'd brought it as a distraction, but it seemed to being serving only as a frustration.

She smiled at him thoughtfully, "Tell me what you're thinking, Jed."

He responded, as he repeatedly pressed the 'play' button on the CD player, "I'm thinking that life was a lot easier during the heyday of records."

"Jed."

He ignored her tone and placed the headphones on his ears. His eyes widened and he quickly took them off. Then he opened the player up and looked at the CD. "And I'm thinking that 'Korn', with a K, isn't a musical group devoted to advocating the importance of eating vegetables to children." Abbey smiled, as he continued with a sigh, "Seems Zoey accidentally put one of her CDs in one of my Sinatra cases again, Abbey."

He shrugged and began to replace the headphones, indicating his willingness to risk diminished hearing in return for the distraction. Abbey shook her head and took the headphones off of him.

He turned to her in confusion, "Abbey."

"You're not going to avoid this discussion, Jed...And you're certainly not going to avoid it at the expense of your hearing."

"A loss of hearing might do me some good right now," he muttered to himself.

"I heard that," Abbey said.

Jed sighed and he turned his eyes to her, "Abbey, I don't feel like doing this right now."

"Well, that's just too bad, Jed. I am not going to allow this to eat away at you."

"I'm fine," he said, his eyes never meeting hers.

"No, you're not. One of your employees, one that you happen to care about, was shot a few hours ago, Jed...Shot because of a decision you couldn't make...Now you're not fine, you couldn't be," Abbey declared.

Jed shook his head, amazed by how well she knew him. He spoke, his voice already struggling with the emotion of the situation, "I stood in my office and listened as Donna was shot...I stood there feeling helpless. What I said to that man was a long-shot. I knew she had a chance of being harmed, but it didn't really register until it happened...Am I ever going to get used to the feeling of having another person's fate resting in my hands?"

"I hope not, Jed," Abbey said softly, as she linked her fingers with his. "I hope you never do. Because the moment you get used to it, is the moment they stop being people with families and friends and start being just another name, a statistic on a long list of statistics."

Jed smiled and placed his hand over hers, "You're right, I hope I never get used to it either...And I hope I never have to make another decision like I had to make a few hours ago...But the reality is I'm going to have to make a thousand more decisions, some of them just as tough...I just wish I knew how to make the doubts go away after all is said and done."

"You did the right thing, Jed," she said with conviction.

He shook his head, as he ran a hand through his hair, "Did I, Abbey? Because I'm not so sure. Why didn't I go with the plan that ended this all in the first place? Why did I think I could get him to compromise?"

"Jed, you had to try to talk with him...That's what you do, you negotiate. You were only asking for a little time," Abbey countered.

"And that could have cost Donna her life, Abbey...After I talked to you, I thought up the plan that ended up working...The problem is I wasn't confident enough to use it first...Why?"

Abbey smiled slightly, "Because you doubted yourself, Jed...Welcome to the world of us mere mortals."

Jed smiled at her, "You know I doubt myself, Abbey...You of all people know that."

She smiled and nodded, "Yes, I do...That's a part of this job, Jed. You're going to have doubts, you're going to have regrets, you're going to feel guilty...You just have to be sure to never allow any of that to let you forget what a wonderful President you are and what wonderful things you can do for the people of this nation in spite of it all."

Jed smiled leaned over and gave his wife a soft kiss on the lips. Then he whispered softly, "The only thing I have to remember is what a wonderful lady I have for a wife."

Abbey smiled and then cupped his cheek as she kissed him again.

* * * * *

Josh slowly entered the airport bar. He'd spent hours wandering the airport aimlessly. He finally decided that he needed something to take his mind off all of the feelings that were consuming him...So here he was.

He took a seat at the bar and waved over the bartender, "Beer, please."

The bartender nodded, poured him a beer and then placed it down in front of him. Josh picked up the beer and brought it to his lips. He let the liquid slide down his throat slowly. In a few minutes, the pain would be gone, he thought.

Josh placed a hand to his forehead and bent his head. Then he squeezed his eyes shut and forced himself back to a time when his world changed for the better and anything was possible.

~~~Flashback: 3 1/2 years earlier~~~

Josh Lyman raced through the halls of the hotel lobby, desperately searching for a bathroom. He held a hand to his mouth to prevent himself from doing something he knew he'd never hear the end of if allowed to happen. He rounded a corner and sighed in relief as he saw what looked like the bathroom. With his head down, he hurriedly rushed towards a door and pushed it open with his free hand.

Totally oblivious to his surroundings, Josh rushed for the stall closest to the door. He pushed its door open so hard he practically knocked it off its hinges. Then he dropped to his knees, placed his hands on the sides of the toilet and bent his head over the toilet bowl.

A few moments later, a voice interrupted his necessary act of relief. Josh's eyes widened and his face grew red, as he stared into the toilet bowl that his head still hung over. He muttered to himself, "No, this can't be happening...It's just not possible."

"Excuse me?" the female voice came again, this time more persistent.

Josh dropped his head to the side and leaned it against his shoulder, "Oh no."

He finally turned around and faced the voice. A few feet behind him, with a look of bewilderment and disgust on her face, stood a blonde woman. Josh slowly got to his feet, his hands using the toilet seat as leverage. He wiped as his brow, which was beaded with sweat, before speaking.

His tone was laced with embarrassment, "You wouldn't, by any chance, be the one in the wrong bathroom, would you?"

The woman raised her brow, crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head. "No," she replied tersely.

Josh ran a hand through his hair and muttered, "Of course not, because I am Josh Lyman and I must do something to humiliate myself at least once a day."

The woman's lips curled into a smile, but she quickly hid it when his eyes found hers again. "This is the women's bathroom, Mr. Lyman. That little picture on the door with a woman in a dress should have been your first clue...The absence of urinals should have been your second."

Josh grinned slightly, "I've never been very observant."

It was at this point that Josh really noticed the woman standing before him. She was beautiful, he thought. She was fairly tall with a thin figure. Her straight blonde hair hung to her shoulders and complemented the fair skin of her face nicely.

Yet there was more there...A beauty that transcended the physical. She was strong and smart...She exuded them both. To Josh, there was nothing sexier.

The woman shook her head at him and interrupted his temporary trance, "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't call security right now and tell him that a strange man is hanging around the women's bathroom."

"Strange?...I've been called worse, but that really stings," Josh said with a smirk.

"Well, what would you like me to call you? I just came into the women's bathroom and found you reacquainting yourself with your dinner...Debonair didn't exactly jump to the forefront of my mind."

"I don't know...It just seems you're one to make judgments rather quickly," he replied.

"Yes, I am. Let me make another...You're drunk," she declared, as she tilted her head to the side.

"Drunk is such an overused term...I prefer 'temporarily alcoholically challenged'," Josh responded, with a wave of his hand.

"How very creative of you," she said with a roll of her eyes. "So how many did you throw back?...Five, six?"

Josh smiled sheepishly, "One."

"You drank one alcoholic beverage and you reacted like this?" she asked incredulously.

"I have a sensitive system," Josh admitted softly, as he blushed.

The woman smiled widely and chuckled, "Oh my, you really are strange."

"As soon as I begin to think clearly, I am going to take offense to that," Josh replied with small smile.

"So shouldn't you have two of your buddies dragging you around now and holding your head over the toilet?" she inquired.

"Actually, one of my buddies was too busy hitting on Senator York's daughter to notice me and the other one said if I threw up on him, it'd be the last time I opened up my mouth," he responded.

She smiled, "Very supportive friends you've got there."

"We're very close," he replied with a grin.

She paused for a moment, as if thinking, and then asked, "Senator York?...Were you at the Bartlet party in the Crystal Ballroom?"

Josh brought a hand up to his forehead, "I think so...There was definitely crystal there...That I'm sure of."

"Ah, so you're with Governor Josiah Bartlet. And I am guessing that party is because he just won the Democratic nomination for President."

"Once again, I think so...There weren't any strippers there, so I can definitely rule out bachelor party." Josh paused and then asked, "What are you here for?"

"Oh, I'm having a business dinner at the hotel restaurant with my boss," she said unenthusiastically.

"You sound thrilled," Josh commented.

"I can't stand the man," she replied bluntly.

"Who is he? If he's someone who's disliked by a great many people, chances are I've met him, disliked him and then insulted him," Josh said with a smirk.

She smiled, "He's actually in your line of business...I'm Senator Conners' assistant."

Josh's lips spread into a wide smile, "Ah yes, I've made his acquaintance. An arrogant, self-righteous son-of-a-bitch if there ever was one."

"Exactly," the woman agreed with a laugh.

"So why don't you just quit if you hate him so much?" Josh asked, as he patted at his disheveled clothes.

"People aren't exactly handing out jobs on the street corner, that's why," she answered.

Josh looked at her thoughtfully for a moment, "Can you type?"

"Of course."

"Can you file?...And I don't mean your nails."

"Yes," she replied, her tone displaying that she did not appreciate his chauvinistic comment.

"Can you retrieve coffee?"

"Yes, but I never will," she said with a tiny smile and a twinkle in her eyes.

"Can you promise to never speak another word of this incident to anyone?"

"I can."

"Then you just got yourself the most-prized position as the assistant to the campaign manager of Democratic nominee for President, Governor Josiah Bartlet...That is, the assistant to yours truly."

"Are you offering me a job?" she asked, with a hint of shock in her voice.

"Actually, I thought I'd just handed you one on a silver platter," he replied while running a hand through his hair.

"But you don't even know my qualifications or my credentials."

"See, now I was expecting a much more gracious response," he said, feigning irritation.

"Mr. Lyman," she said seriously.

"Look, I've already had two assistants of mine quit...And that was just in the last two months. They keep saying I'm hostile...and something about Castro. I don't care about your credentials, I only care that you stay through the week and refrain from calling me a tyrant," he replied quickly.

"So you're hostile?" she asked with a smile.

"That's up for debate," he responded with a grin.

"What makes you think I'd want to work for a hostile boss?"

"I'm actually a very likable guy once you get to know me."

She nodded and then smiled mischievously, "And how do you know that I'm not some crazy woman with forty cats, who thinks soap opera characters are real and has a penchant for killing politicians?"

"Do you have forty cats?" he asked with a well-hidden smile.

"No."

"Do you think soap opera characters are real?"

"No."

"Do you have a penchant for killing politicians?"

"Not anymore," she said with a smile beginning to form at the corners of her mouth.

"Then you've got the job," Josh declared grinning.

She took a step closer to him and looked into his eyes, "How do I know that you're not just hiring me because of my looks and that you're not going to jump at the first chance to hit on me?"

Josh grinned and then winked at her, "You don't."

"Mr. Lyman," she asked her smile betraying the serious tone she wished to employ.

"That's just a chance you're going to have to take," he said, his eyes dancing with delight.

The woman thought for a few moments, "And the fact that I just found you with your head over a toilet bowl should have no bearing on my decision, right?"

"Picky, aren't we?"

"It's just that as far as first impressions go..."

"I know, I've never done well with them. But I make up for it with my immeasurable charm." She laughed, as Josh paused and met her eyes again, "So what's it going to be?"

The woman thought for a few more moments and then sighed, "I'll probably regret this, but I accept your offer."

He smiled and extended his hand, "Great, welcome aboard...To formally introduce myself, I am Joshua Lyman."

She accepted his hand, "Donna Moss."

Josh nodded and then swallowed hard, as his face began to grow red, "Well, Donna Moss, your first duty as my assistant is to hold my head over that toilet bowl, because I'm about to hurl again."

Josh hurriedly left her side and resumed his original position at the toilet.

Donna smiled widely at his figure and shook her head, "That I won't do, Mr. Lyman."

Josh responded from his spot at the toilet, his voice echoing, "Please, call me Josh." He paused and then added in a muffled voice, "I already feel very close to you."

Donna laughed and shook her head, as she wondered what she'd just gotten herself into.

To further cause her to question her judgment, he said, "Oh, you better leave your name, number and a detailed description of this entire encounter because I'm pretty sure I won't remember a shred of it tomorrow morning."

Donna smiled, as she removed a pen and a piece of paper from her bag.

~~~ End of Flashback~~~

But he had remembered. He'd remembered every detail the next day and every day since. Josh would never stop being grateful for the chance to have her in his life...He'd always thought it was fate.

Josh had been attracted to Donna immediately. She was everything he'd ever wanted. But their work relationship and friendship had grown so strong and comfortable so quickly, that he couldn't allow himself the chance of ruining it. He needed her too much to risk losing her.

Now he was facing the possibility of losing her anyway...And he had no one to blame but himself. He had forced Donna onto that plane, she had been targeted because of their relationship, she had taken a bullet because of him. How could he possibly forgive himself for that?

Josh had sat there and watched as blood poured from her body, as it dripped onto his hands. He would never forget the look of terror in her eyes. It was forever branded into his mind...He had put that there and now he couldn't get past it.

Josh wanted to be with her right now, he wanted that more than anything, but he couldn't allow himself that. He wasn't what she needed right now, he thought.

So he'd stay there and drown his sorrows.

* * * * * *

Air Force One landed at Las Vegas National Airport a few hours later. The President instructed Toby, Sam and Leo to comb the airport looking for Josh. He and the rest would proceed to the hospital to check on Donna. He told them to report to the hospital in one hour and if they hadn't found Josh by then, they'd devise another way to do so.

Leo was walking by the airport bar when he paused, figuring that Josh could be in there. He hesitantly entered the bar, knowing that this was a line that he never dared cross anymore. He had only walked a few steps when he spotted Josh sitting at the bar, staring into his beer.

Leo sighed and shook his head. He got the attention of a nearby waitress and pointed at Josh, "How long has that man been here?"

"Since my shift started."

"How long ago was that?"

"Three hours."

Leo moaned and walked over to Josh. He stood next to him for a moment, not saying a word.

Josh was the first to speak, "You shouldn't be here, Leo."

"Neither should you," he responded, as he sat down next to him.

Josh met his eyes, "Go home, Leo...And take the cavalry with you."

"You know we're not going to leave you like this, Josh. You wouldn't do that if it were one of us."

"You don't know what I'd do," Josh replied softly.

"I used to know. The Josh I knew would do anything for his friends. The Josh I knew would be sitting by the bedside of his loyal assistant right now," Leo said with conviction.

"She doesn't need me there," Josh said with a sad shake of his head.

"You know that's not true." Josh shook his head again, so Leo changed the subject with a slight smile. "If Donna were here right now she'd be chastising you for drinking so much...You know she'd point out you're sensitive system."

"Well, Donna's not here, now is she?" he replied bitterly. "And don't worry, this is still my first one."

"You've only had one all of this time?" he asked in disbelief, as he remembered how many he used to drink in that span of time.

Josh shrugged, "Yeah, well, I fully intended to drink myself into oblivion, but I kept getting lost in my thoughts...I'm not a quitter though, so I'll keep trying till I get it right."

"So you're going to drink to make the pain go away," Leo said as more of a statement than a question.

"Yes."

"It won't work," he declared with a shake of his head.

Josh turned to him with a scowl, "I don't care what you say. You don't know how it feels, Leo. You don't know how it feels to watch someone you care about hurt like that; you don't know how it feels to watch and be able to do nothing; you don't know what it's like to feel responsible for that kind of pain."

Leo lowered his head and nodded solemnly, "Yes, I do." Josh looked at him in surprise, as Leo continued, "I know what it's like to watch my son's life slip away, Josh. I know what it's like to have to watch it and not be able to do a damn thing to stop it. I know what it's like to be driving the car as it's hit, with my son in the seat next to me...I know what it's like to watch someone I love die and I know what that kind of pain and guilt can do."

Josh shook his head, his eyes wide, "I didn't know."

Leo nodded, his voice beginning to choke, "You couldn't have. I never speak of Patrick. He filled my life with such happiness, but every time I think of him now I can't get past the pain." Leo paused, as he wiped at his eyes with a rough swipe of his hand, "I did what you want to do, Josh, and, take it from me, it can only make matters worse. It won't make the pain go away...You'll feel numb today, but tomorrow you'll wake up and nothing will have changed. Yet you'll keep going back and back just for that temporary relief, just for those few short moments of peace...Until you can't stop yourself and you can't face a day without it."

Josh averted his eyes, "It doesn't have to be that way for me."

"No, it doesn't. But I never wanted it that way either...It just evolved into that and then I couldn't control it. Trust me, it won't solve your problems and it'll only make more in the process," Leo stated.

Josh ran a hand through his hair, as he took another sip of his beer, "I need to do this my way right now, Leo."

Leo sighed and began to get up, "I can't help you right now, no one can. I can see that...You have to be willing to help yourself, Josh." Leo paused, placed a comforting hand to his shoulder and then added softly, "When you're ready, we'll be waiting...So will Donna."

With that, Leo turned on his heel and left the bar. Josh watched his figure leave, before picking up his beer and taking another drink.

* * * * * Leo met up with Sam and Toby outside the airport.

"No luck either?" Sam asked.

Leo shook his head, "No, I found him."

They both widened their eyes at him. Toby spoke first, "You found him? Then why isn't he here with you?"

"Because I left him in the airport bar," Leo replied.

"You left him in the bar?" Sam repeated.

"Yes."

Toby sighed, "See, maybe I misunderstood our mission. I thought we were supposed to find him *and* bring him back with us."

"He didn't want to come. What did you want me to do?"

"You should have made him," Toby stated.

"How exactly, Toby? Should I have hit him over the head with a bottle of whiskey and then dragged him by his hair?" Leo asked exasperatedly.

"Well, he's certainly got enough hair to do so, Leo," Toby replied.

Leo rolled his eyes at Toby before speaking seriously, "We can't force him to do something he doesn't want to do. He's got to deal with this in his own way. He'll come around, just give him some time."

"Not good enough," Toby declared with a shake of his head.

"Excuse me?"

"That's not good enough. Donna, a woman he claims to care about, is lying in a hospital bed right now and what's he doing? He's feeling sorry for himself."

"You don't understand."

"I don't have to. I am going to go talk some sense into him and, when that fails, I'm going to knock it into him."

"Yeah, just what Josh needs, Mr. Sensitive talking to him," Leo replied, with more than a hint of sarcasm.

"I can be sensitive, I just choose not to be most times. And this is one of those times," Toby answered.

Before Leo could say another word, Toby turned on his heel and entered the airport again.

Leo shook his head and glanced at Sam, "This is great. Asking Archie Bunker to give a speech on racial tolerance would be a better idea than having Toby talk to a despondent Josh right now."

Sam shrugged, as Leo continued to shake his head.

* * * * * *

"And did you know, Donna, that the volcano, Krakatoa, is located in Rakata, which is an island in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, Indonesia. It erupted in 1883 and is known as one of the most devastating in recorded history. Its only-..."

Abbey touched Jed's arm gently and then whispered to him, "Don't you think the girl's suffered enough for one day, dear?"

Donna smiled slightly, as her barely opened eyes focused on the First Couple. The surgery had gone very well. They were able to remove the bullet and repair the damage it had done. Fortunately, it had missed all major organs. She was given a blood transfusion to account for the significant loss of blood she'd suffered and she was expected to make a full recovery.

Donna had woken up a half an hour ago and had already been treated to visits from Mallory, CJ, and her sister. The First Couple had entered a few minutes ago and Jed had almost immediately launched into a history lesson on volcanos.

Donna opened her mouth to speak, but found that her lips were too dry. She slowly allowed her tongue to moisten them and then swallowed the best she could.

Donna then softly interrupted the First Lady's scolding of her husband, "Actually, ma'am, I'd very much like to hear some more about Krakatoa, if that's okay."

Abbey's eyes widened at her, as Jed's lips spread into a pride-filled grin. He turned to Abbey, "See, someone appreciates the extensive knowledge that I have gathered."

Abbey shrugged, as the President turned to Donna, "You really want to hear more? Because this is usually the point of the conversation when most of my staff runs out and says that they have a number of nonexistent tasks to attend to...I'm starting to think they don't like to hear this stuff, although I can't imagine why."

Donna smiled at him, "Well, I love to hear about things like this. I'm kind of a useless facts buff." Donna paused and then added in a whisper, "It drives Josh crazy."

The President noticed how Donna lowered her eyes when she spoke of Josh. He tried to add some levity to the suddenly somber conversation, "Well, I've always felt that Josh is jealous of my ability to retain such a wide variety of information...I'm sure it's the same with you."

Donna allowed herself a little chuckle, although it caused her pain to laugh. When the pain subsided she said, "I'm sure you're right, sir."

The President was just about to begin his lecture on the volcano again, when Donna's tiny, soft voice stopped him. She played with the corner of her blanket and forced her eyes away from his as she spoke, "He's not here is he...Josh isn't here."

The President exchanged a glance with his wife before replying hesitantly, "No, he isn't. But he'll be here soon."

Bartlet watched as Donna nodded and then wiped at her cheek where a tear had appeared. She replied softly, "He'll come when he's ready."

* * * * * *

Toby quickly entered the airport bar, approached Josh and began tugging at his arm before Josh had even noticed him, "Come on, let's go."

Josh ripped his arm free of Toby and then looked up at him, "What is this? Leo thought 'tough love' would work and who better than you?"

Toby shrugged, "Pretty much. So get your self-pitying ass off that barstool and let's go."

Josh snickered, as he sipped his beer. "You can kiss my self-pitying ass for all I care, Toby."

Toby sighed agitatedly and then tore the glass away from Josh's hand. "Look, sitting in this bar feeling sorry for yourself isn't going to do anyone any good, least of all Donna. So stop thinking about yourself for a second and start thinking about her."

Josh turned to him and responded angrily, "You don't know what the hell you're talking about, Toby!...She's all I've been thinking about. I'm doing this for her."

Toby ran a hand down his chin, "I'm afraid you're once again going to have to explain your twisted logic to me, Josh. How exactly are you helping Donna by sitting in a bar and slowly drinking yourself silly?"

Josh lowered his eyes, "Don't you see that I'm not good for her? I put her in that hospital, Toby."

"Did you shoot her, Josh?"

"What?" Josh asked.

"I said did you shoot her?"

Josh shook his head and responded softly, "I might as well have."

"Don't give me that crap. The fact is you didn't hijack that plane and you didn't shoot Donna. Now if you want to feel guilty about this, then fine, but don't punish Donna because of it," Toby replied tersely.

"You just don't get it. I forced her to get onto that plane, my job put her in danger and then my inability to meet his demands got her shot. So you tell me how I could do her any good right now...I'm poison."

Toby rolled his eyes at Josh, unmoved by his words, "Okay, Josh, enough. You sound like a movie of the week."

"You really know how to kick someone when they're down, you know that, Toby?" Josh muttered.

"Shut up and listen to me," Toby replied, as Josh finally lifted his eyes to him. "What's done is done. You can't go back and change that now. And I know that Donna doesn't blame you for any of this. All she wants right now is to know that you're there for her...That's all...As for your guilt, come to terms with it now. Just decide to accept it. If you don't, it'll eat away at you for the rest of your life. If you want to blame someone, if you want to be angry with someone, then let it be that son-of-a-bitch hijacker."

Josh's eyes narrowed for a second, as he could feel the anger rising up in him again. He responded darkly, "I am angry at him, Toby. I feel things about that man I never thought possible."

"Good, go with that. You should be angry. He had no right," Toby replied, not noticing Josh's tone.

Josh nodded, as he swallowed hard and then spoke in a whisper, "But I just can't get past the fact that Donna never should have been on that plane in the first place."

"The President requested her presence, Josh."

Josh averted his eyes, as he spoke, "Yeah, he did, because he knew I was a hot head and he didn't want me to blow it with Vining. But he wouldn't have thought of Donna unless I hadn't mentioned Vining's attraction to her. I know that wasn't the President's reason for requesting her, but I put her name into his head."

"Josh," Toby said tiredly.

"And do you know why I did that?" Josh asked, as he ignored Toby's tone. "It wasn't because I really thought Vining was attracted to her, it wasn't because I really thought she could keep me in check. No, it wasn't any of those things." Josh paused and then added softly, "It was simply because I enjoy her company."

Toby's eyes widened at the comment, he had been expecting something much more revealing. "And this is a bad thing?" Toby asked.

"It was selfish, Toby. I forced her to cancel her plans because I wanted to be with her...And look what happened because of it."

Toby looked at him thoughtfully for a moment before asking in a slightly embarrassed tone, "Have you ever thought about why you enjoy her company so much, Josh?"

"We're friends, Toby."

"So are you and I, but I didn't see you forcing me to go with you."

"The difference is I don't enjoy your company," Josh replied with a smirk.

Toby sighed, "It goes deeper than that and you know it. Maybe that's what's really been bothering you. When this happened it stirred up some feelings you don't know how to deal with, so you're hiding instead."

Josh looked at him with an expression of absurdity, "Who are you? Dr. Ruth?"

Toby grinned, "I know, I'm scaring myself, too. So why don't you just get your butt over to the hospital and then I can stop this insightfulness stuff...It's really starting to bug me."

Josh smiled and then nodded, "Okay, I'll be there in a little while."

"Josh."

"I will, Toby. I just have to think about a few things first."

Toby hesitantly nodded, "Fine."

With that he left the bar, as Josh placed a hand to his forehead.

* * * * *

It was an hour later when Josh finally entered the hospital. He asked whi ch room was Donna's at the nurses' station and then proceeded down the hall. He stopped as he reached her room and looked through the glass at her. She was alone and asleep. She looked peaceful, he thought.

Peace. He wondered if he'd ever have that again.

Josh quietly entered the room and took a seat by her bed. His eyes began to fill with tears, as he looked at her pale face and the numerous machines she was connected to. She was so beautiful and innocent, he thought...She didn't deserve this.

Josh picked her hand up in his and began to stroke it gently with his thumb, as he spoke, "I'm sorry I didn't get here sooner, Donna. I had some thinking to do." He paused and then continued in a voice that was struggling against emotion, "And I am so sorry this happened to you. I'm so sorry I let this happen."

Josh swallowed hard, "I saw the fear in your eyes, the pain as he shot you...That's a look I never want to see in you again. I couldn't stand it...The worse part is that I know I put that in your eyes...That's the hardest part."

Josh stopped and rubbed at his eyes, "I knew I couldn't lose you, Donna. I know I don't show it much, but you keep me sane. Even when you're attempting do drive me crazy with your trivial facts." He stopped, as he managed a nervous chuckle. "But you've always been the one who keeps me from getting a big head, drunk with power...And you listen when I need you to... I need you to listen to me now."

Josh paused and ran a hand through his hair, as he continued, "I've been doing a lot of thinking because of what happened. It's made me realize so much about myself...The first thing I realized is that I don't deserve you in my life, I never have. Look at what I did to you. Everyone tells me it's not my fault, but I know better...And then there's this other part of me." Josh stopped as he lifted his eyes to hers.

There was a darkness in them now, like a part of him had emerged without his consent and he was struggling to fight it...It was like he was trying to stop it from taking over.

"There's this other part of me now that just fills with rage every time I think of that man who did this to you...I...I never thought I could feel like this...Like there's this ugly part of me that I can't control. And I can feel it burning every time I see your eyes...It's there and I don't know what to do about it." Josh paused again, as he ran a hand down his face.

Then he brought his other hand up and caressed her cheek gently. His voice was thick with emotion as he continued, "So I'm going to do the only thing I can think of. I'm going to let you go, Donna. I know you were never mine to have, but I am giving up everything we've ever shared for you. You don't deserve a man like me in your life. You're too good...And I don't know what I am anymore."

Josh squeezed his eyes shut, as he forced his tears to be kept at bay, "But before I go, I'm going to tell you something that I never could if you were looking at me right now with those big, bright eyes...I love you, Donna. In a lot of ways, I always have. But it goes deeper than I ever thought or at least admitted to myself before now. I love you enough to want to keep you safe and happy...And you can't be that with me in your life."

Josh stood up then and leaned over her. He then placed his lips to her forehead and placed a soft, lingering kiss on it. Then he whispered in her ear, "Good-bye, Donnatella."

Josh then walked to the door and, with one last look at her, he left the room.

* * * * * *

After he left the hospital, Josh immediately proceeded to the airport. He bought a ticket to Washington, D.C. and waited to board the plane. No one even knew that he was on his way home.

30 minutes later, Josh boarded the plane and hours later he arrived home.

When Josh arrived back in D.C., he immediately headed for his office in the West Wing. Josh froze when he passed Donna's desk. He was half-expecting her to be sitting there, with a ready smile and the latest piece of gossip. It was the small moments they shared everyday that he treasured now more than ever.

Josh entered his office and went about his business quickly. Two hours later, he had packed up most of his things and drafted two letters. A sad smile played across his lips as he closed the door to his office and passed by her desk for the last time.

He'd hand in his resignation and his recommendation for Donna's reassignment when he had gathered the courage to face the President.

* * * * * One week later, Sam stood outside of Josh's apartment, banging on the door. "Josh, open the damn door."

Silence.

"Josh, you can't hide forever."

Silence.

"Joshua Lyman, open this door right now or I'll break it down!"

Silence.

Sam sighed, as he took a step back and then rammed his shoulder forcefully into the door.

Josh smiled as he heard a thud and then an "Ow!...Dammit!"

Josh walked to the door and flung it open, just as Sam was about to perform another act of strength. "Just get in here before you hurt yourself."

Sam scowled at him, as he rubbed at his shoulder, "Too late for that." He walked past him and into the apartment. Josh closed the door behind him.

Sam shook his head, as he looked at the messy appearance of his apartment, "Whoever you got to redecorate this place should be fired."

Josh smirked, as he took his place on a couch littered with clothes, "What are you here for, Sam?"

"I'm here to take you back to work."

"Well, then you're wasting your time, my friend."

"I don't understand you, Josh. You've never backed down from anything before. Why are you letting this change you?"

Josh lowered his eyes, "It did change me, Sam. I can't help that."

"Fine, then deal with it. Look, Donna is back home. She was transferred to Washington D.C General Hospital two days ago and released this morning."

"How is she doing?" Josh asked, trying to make his voice seem only mildly concerned.

"Physically, she's on the mend. But emotionally...Josh, you didn't even go to see her."

"I was there. She was asleep," he said in a whisper.

Sam sighed and sank down into a chair across from him, "Tell me what you're trying to accomplish, Josh. You've shut Donna out of your life. You've pretty much shut the rest of us out, too. And now you're quitting your job...Why?"

Josh leaned forward and dropped his head into his hands, as he spoke in a low voice. "Look, there are things you know about yourself. You think you're a good, decent person. But then things happen...Something happens and you realize that there's more to you then you ever thought possible...Parts that you don't like, parts that others wouldn't like in you, parts that shouldn't be in the Deputy Chief of Staff of the United States."

"You're not making any sense, Josh," Sam said with a shake of his head.

"I know, it doesn't make much sense to me either. All I know is that I can't be a part of Donna's life anymore and I can't work for this nation either."

"So that's it?"

"Yeah, it is," Josh nodded.

Sam shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. Then he spoke softly, his eyes never meeting Josh's, "I know this is only going to make matters worse for you, but you're going to find out anyway and I'd rather it be from me."

"What?" Josh asked worriedly.

"The lead hijacker, Abdul Salhaji, was released on bail while he awaits trial."

"What?! Sam, how is that possible?" Josh asked in shocked anger.

"I don't know. It was Judge Horner. You know him. He thinks everyone deserves bail, no matter what they've been charged with or what danger they pose to society. He set it as high as possible, probably thinking Salhaji's people wouldn't be able to meet it, but it turns out he's got some following and they were able to post it. He was released yesterday and his court date is set for the end of the month."

Josh spoke softly, almost as if Sam wasn't in the room, "I can't believe this. Knowing he was in jail was the only thing that was keeping me under control."

"What are you talking about, Josh?" Sam asked with apparent concern.

Josh shook his head free of his thoughts, "Nothing."

Sam didn't believe him, but he knew it would be fruitless to try and get him to open up. Slowly, he stood and walked to the door. He said one last thing before leaving, "We all need you, Josh. I hope you eventually realize that."

* * * * *

Two days later, Josh was ushered into President Bartlet's office by Mrs. Landingham. Jed smiled at him as he waved him over to the couch. Josh slowly walked over to where the President sat and took his place next to him.

"Sir, I am here-..."

"Save it, Josh. I am not accepting your resignation," the President said with a decisive shake of his head.

"I assure you, sir, that you'll change your mind once you hear what I have to say," Josh said in a throaty whisper.

The President looked at him curiously, "I doubt it, but say what you must."

Josh swallowed against the lump in his throat and began in a soft voice, "A lot of things have changed for me because of what happened on the plane, sir. I thought I knew who I was. But the more I think about it, the more I realize that I've never really known. Maybe none of us know, until we are confronted with something like this...All I know is that I'm not who I thought I was and I don't like the person I've discovered."

The President looked at him in confusion, "Josh, this is a hard thing to come to terms with. You have to give yourself some time to adapt."

"It's not that easy, sir."

"I'm afraid I don't understand then."

Josh lowered his eyes from the President's and said in a whisper, "I have his address. I know where he lives."

"What? Who?" the President asked, clearly confused.

Josh spoke now, a faraway look in his eyes and his tone detached, "Him. The hijacker. Abdul Salhaji. Did you know that he's actually lived here in D.C for five years? It's true. Moved here from Saudi Arabia."

"Josh, how do you know all this?" the President asked, in a voice clearly laced with concern.

He smiled bitterly, "I haven't resigned yet, sir. People still tell the Deputy Chief of Staff things when asked to."

"And what is this information supposed to mean to you?" the President inquired, his eyes studying Josh closely.

Josh looked at his hands, as he wrung them together, "I wanted him to pay for what he'd done to, Donna...So I got his address."

The President spoke in a worried voice, "Josh, he will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Justice will be done, you just have to let the law take care of it."

"The law? You mean the same law that allowed this man to be released on bail?" he replied angrily.

"Josh," the President said placidly.

He shook his head and continued in an eerily calm tone now, "I lie awake every night and I see his face as I drift off to sleep. And when I wake up, the first thing I see is Donna's face, twisting with fear. At first, I was consumed with guilt...I couldn't get past it...But then it just happened...My guilt turned into rage aimed at him. He was all I could think about...I wanted someone he loved to watch as he hurt, just like I watched when he hurt Donna." Josh said, as his voice trailed off.

The President placed a hand to his mouth, as he got the drift of what Josh was saying. He wanted revenge, justice in his mind, and he wanted to perform it himself. "Josh, you don't really mean any of this."

Josh nodded sadly, "But that's the worst of it, sir...I do. And that's why I have to leave." He paused and then continued, "Sometimes I think it's right, justified, what I've thought about doing. I'm not religious. I'm Jewish, but I've never been practicing. I know you are though, sir. I know you're a man of the Bible. It says it right there, I've heard it: 'Eye for an eye, tooth for tooth-..."

"...Hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe," the President concluded grimly. "Yes, I know it well...Exodus 21:27."

"It's the Word of God," Josh stated.

"It is words that were inspired by God for people of a different time," he replied.

"But it's survived this long, sir. There are people who believe in and follow everything they read in the Bible."

He shook his head, "They shouldn't, Josh. I believe in what the Bible stands for, the hope that it gives, not for the words it says. It speaks of many things that have no bearing now. It speaks of slaves, Josh." The President paused and then continued, "A wise man once said this:

"That old law about 'an eye for an eye' leaves everybody blind."

The President stopped and allowed Josh to absorb this, "Do you know who that man was?

"No, sir," Josh said softly.

"Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr," the President said crisply.

He then continued, "Dr. King was a man who loved God, he believed in him fiercely. But he also knew the power of hate, he knew of its destruction and he could not accept the Bible's word unquestioningly." He stopped and then added, "This was a man who had suffered every kind of injustice you can think of. He was hated by many his entire life because of the color of his skin, he was imprisoned because of his beliefs of equality, and he was killed because he stood by those beliefs unwaveringly. He endured more than we could ever imagine, Josh, yet he always preached of justice won without violence. After all he'd been through, he knew that justice won with violence was a hollow victory at best...And those who seek it that way are left no better than the perpetrators."

The President stopped and looked into his eyes, "If everyone exacted vengeance against those who have wronged them, then we'd be a society plunged into darkness."

Josh lowered his eyes and nodded, "You're right, sir. I always knew that and I never would have acted on my thoughts. But the problem lies in the thoughts. I can't believe I ever had them...I thought I was better than that."

The President nodded, "You've been through a lot, Josh. You felt helpless and this was the only way you could feel like you were doing something to help Donna...It was never who you are."

"Do you really think so?" Josh asked in a voice filled with the innocence of a child.

The President smiled, "Yes, I do." Josh allowed a weak breath to escape from his lips. The President then added, "And I think that if this situation did anything to you it should make you realize what a gift every day is, Josh. Don't take anything for granted, embrace everything and everyone around you. Don't waste a moment either. You don't have forever, if there's something you need to tell someone, say it now...You might not get another chance."

Josh smiled at him with an understanding smile, "Yes, sir."

Josh then stood and began to walk away, when the President's voice called him back, "Oh, Josh, why don't you leave that resignation with me. I think I'll keep it handy for the next time you do something stupid, like invent a secret plan to fight inflation."

Josh laughed lightly and shook his head. Then he responded seriously, "No, sir, I think I'll keep this one as reminder of all I would have been giving up."

The President nodded with a proud smile and then watched as he left.

* * * * *

A week and a half later, Donna returned to work. Everyone told her it was too soon, but she insisted that she would only drive herself crazy at home.

However, the truth was that she just wanted to see Josh and she thought this would be the only way. She hadn't seen him at all since the shooting, and she'd only been told by Sam that he'd visited her. Sam said Josh just needed time and Donna understood that. Still, a part of her hoped that their relationship hadn't been ruined by what happened.

Donna had just sat down at her desk, smiling at how good it felt to be back, when Josh suddenly appeared in front of her. He spoke to her as if nothing had happened, "Donna, what's my 10 o'clock?"

"Excuse me?" Donna asked with surprise.

"What do I have scheduled for 10 o'clock?"

"That's all you have to say?"

He seemed to be searching his thoughts, "What do I have scheduled for 10 o'clock...Please?"

Donna sighed and then picked up the schedule the temp had left, "You have a meeting with Senator Ryser to discuss finance reform."

"Okay, thanks." He disappeared into his office and then returned fifteen minutes later.

"Could you come with me for a second, please?"

She shook her head, "No, I cannot. I just got back and I have a million things to do, Josh. The temp made a mess of things."

"I told her you like things messy," he replied with a grin.

"Well, thank you very much," she grumbled.

"It'll only take a sec, it's really important," he tried again.

Donna sighed and then relented, as she stood slowly, "Fine, but this better be good."

Josh nodded, with a slight smile, "Trust me, it is."

With that, he placed a hand to her back and guided her down the halls. They finally stopped in front of the women's bathroom. Donna stopped him as he was about to push the door open. "Okay, I know you have trouble with this, but this is the WOMEN'S bathroom. You are a MAN."

Josh nodded and said softly, "I know, just trust me." He smiled to himself, as he said those words to her with a conviction he thought he'd never get back.

Donna shrugged, as Josh gently pushed her into the bathroom. Josh entered behind her and then closed the door.

Donna looked at him in confusion, "Am I supposed to be impressed by the women's bathroom? I have been in here before, you know. I'm sure this isn't your first time either." Donna concluded with a slight smirk.

Josh came closer to her and looked into her eyes seriously, "I have something I need to tell you."

"And you had to do it in the women's bathroom?" she asked in confusion.

"Yes," he said, his tone remaining serious, even though she wasn't making this easy.

Donna looked into his eyes and saw that he was sincere. "Okay."

Josh took a step closer to her and brushed some hair out of her face. Donna could feel her heart begin to speed up at his touch and she whispered with wide eyes, "Josh."

He smiled softly at her, "Just let me say this, okay? For once, let me complete a sentence without interrupting me."

Donna nodded at him. Josh spoke in a voice that was constricted with emotion, "I am saying this to you here because this is the place, well not the exact place but close enough, where my life changed forever. I met you in a bathroom, Donna. It sounds ridiculous to say my life changed in a bathroom, but it did...It changed with you."

He took a deep breath, as he noticed Donna's eyes becoming glassy with tears, "I denied a lot for a long time. I never wanted to see it. And after this happened, I thought you were better off without me...I didn't know who I was anymore, Donna. Until I realized something: I only know who I am, I mean truly am, when I'm with you. You make me see things differently. You make me smile, you make me laugh, you make me think, you make me see the good in me when I refuse to...and now you've made me cry. I've cried for you many times since that night. I've cried for myself."

Donna still looked at Josh wide-eyed and then spoke softly, "Josh, what are you trying to say?"

He replied in a whisper that sent chills down Donna's spine, "I'm trying to say that the prospect of losing you made my blood turn cold and my world stop turning. I'm trying to say that I never want to know what even one day feels like without you...I'm trying to say that I'd be lost without you."

Josh paused and then said with a smile, "I'm trying to say that I want to spend the rest of my life hearing every useless fact you have in that amazing mind of yours. I'm trying to say that I want to listen to you tell everyone on God's green earth that I have a 'sensitive system' as we grow old and gray together. I'm trying to say that the best moment of my life was when I heard your voice for the first time as my head hung over a toilet. I'm trying to say that from now on I always want you to walk beside me, never behind me again...I'm trying to say I love you, Donna."

Donna's mouth hung open in shock, as a seemingly endless stream of tears cascaded down her cheeks. Josh smiled at her, as he lifted his fingers to wipe at her face. When she finally spoke, her sentence was slow and barely coherent, "What? Oh my...Is this...Real...I mean...Is this...Did this...Did this just happen...or...am I dreaming?"

Josh grinned, as he shook his head, "If you're dreaming, then so am I." He paused and then added, "Of course, my dreams don't usually occur in the women's bathroom, so I'm betting this is as real as it gets."

Donna laughed through her tears, as she shook her head in disbelief. She finally spoke softly, with barely controlled emotion, "I can't believe this...I can't believe you. I was sitting at my desk today and I was thinking that you were being so inconsiderate. I didn't really understand why you had been keeping your distance from me, why you didn't even welcome me back today. And then you go and do this...You blow me away." Donna's voice trailed off, as she gazed into his eyes, "I guess I've always known that my feelings go deeper than friendship for you, Josh. No one can drive me crazy and make me laugh in all the same moment like you can. I just never thought you returned my feelings, I guess I was too scared to even consider it. I certainly never thought that our first meeting in that hotel bathroom would lead to this one...But I am so glad that it has. I wouldn't trade one moment with you for anything is this world. Not even the bad, because they've all brought us here to this moment...I guess I'm trying to say I love you, too, Josh." Donna concluded, with a smile that seemed to brighten her entire countenance.

Josh smiled with delight, as he cupped her face in his hands. Then he brought his lips closer to hers and they met in a soul-stirring, soft kiss. As the moments passed, Donna pulled Josh deeper into the kiss.

They were finally forced to separate when they heard a toilet flush behind them.

Josh and Donna looked at each other with wide eyes, as they tried to control the sudden laughter that was about to erupt from them.

The stall door behind them suddenly flew open revealing a teary-eyed CJ, blotting at her eyes with a long, flowing piece of toilet paper. She looked at them and smiled through her tears, as she spoke in a ramble, "Oh you guys...That was so beautiful...Josh, you are so sweet...Who knew?...The whole thing about the useless facts and the walking beside me thing...I always knew there was something more between you two...Oh, look what you've done to me. I'm a grown woman, who's crying in a bathroom at the White House and using toilet paper to blot my eyes!"

Josh and Donna laughed at CJ, who shook her head at them. Their attention then gravitated to the doorway, where a loud round of applause was coming from. Leo, Toby, Sam and the President were standing in the doorway with smiles upon their lips, for they knew that they had all played a part in making this moment happen in some way or another.

CJ nodded, as she continued to dab at her eyes, "Oh yeah, I didn't want to interrupt you guys when you came in, so I just stayed in the stall. But I wanted everyone else to know what was going on, so I called them on my cell."

Josh and Donna shook their heads at CJ, as they chuckled. The President stepped toward them. "Well, Josh, this is certainly different. When I told Abbey I loved her it was on the beach during a moonlit walk...But this is definitely another way to go."

Josh nodded with a smile, as he placed a hand around Donna's waist, "Thank you, sir...I'm nothing if not different."

The President waved his hand at the rest of the staff, "Okay, let's get back to work. I'm sure Josh and Donna would like to spend some more quality time here in the women's bathroom...God knows why, but to each his own."

A few laughs flew out of their mouths, before they all nodded and followed the President out the door.

Donna turned back to Josh, "Well, I guess this is our special place now."

Josh nodded with a tender smile, "Something to tell the grandkids."

Donna allowed another smile to spread across her face, as she brought her lips to his again.

It seems fate works in mysterious ways...Through a series of unlikely, eye-opening events, the two had come full circle and found love where they'd first found each other.


End file.
